Forever for Avalon
by R2-D2106
Summary: Covers "Deathly Hallows" with the Avalon gang. Secrets are revealed, plots are formed and the dramatic conclusion to a moderately popular series
1. Chapter 1

**Listening to: Chapter 34-Riddle TM**

**Well, here is the final chapter folks. This will cover what in cannon is known as Deathly Hallows and I hope you all enjoy this as I do.**

**On the 12****th**** of this month, we observed a one-year anniversary of my taking up this for the first time, on that day I also became 100% legal as per the laws of the United States of America. Only, the governor of my state can bend over my posterior and kiss it repeatedly as he is a loud-mouth money grubbing Fudge. **

**That said, welcome young and old. Please enjoy**

Forever for Avalon

Prologue

8 January 1981

Mercy Hall, Avalon

He didn't want to believe it. The thought of it was wrong, all wrong. He stood alongside the table. He knew that to make this real for himself, he would have to see her body, but he couldn't make himself move the sheet.

A part of him half-hoped that this was some twisted joke as he finally lifted the sheet and threw it back.

His head started to spin he saw her, pale white, eyes mercifully closed. Someone, Narcissa perhaps, had brushed her hair so it lay untangled. Black silk against the harsh metal.

Tears that had been threatening to fall finally fell. _This _was all that was left of her, the sister he'd half-loved, half-hated most of their lives.

This was wrong. She wasn't supposed to die like this. They were supposed to survive-the all of them-him, Lily, Harry, her daughter, her. Hell, even Snape. They weren't supposed to drop like this.

He felt for her hand, and felt a solid piece of metal.

She shouldn't have had to die to be happy. Hell, she wasn't supposed to have died at all. Not now. Not when things were just starting over for her.

A worn, battered copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard _sat on the table. He opened it to where she'd marked her place.

How often had he teased her for still reading these tales?

"_And then he greeted Death as an old friend and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life."_

He closed his eyes as the news he'd seen finally made sense.

Riddle, that sonofabitch, had tried to get to Avalon and she'd given him a hollow victory in exchange for keeping the isle safe.

It had meant more to Riddle to kill her than destroy the most magical place in the world.

He heard a baby crying from somewhere and froze for a second before remembering that only days ago she'd given birth to her first…only…child.

She would never see the little one grow up and the child would never know either of her parents other than what people would tell her. Fresh sobs racked his body as he thought of how Harry might face the same fate thanks to that damn prophecy.

In the-slightest-chance that would happen, he didn't want Harry to go to Lily's sister. Better send him here, hidden and surrounded by friends than in the Muggle world with people who were sure to hate him. Better loved and protected than just lost except to those who knew of his whereabouts.

Maybe that's what Aster had been thinking that morning, to make sure there would always be somewhere safe for people to come to.

He replaced the sheet, unable to look at her face-serene in sleep-any longer.

Now the true test would begin. Unable to tell anyone who mattered that he'd lost the last of his immediate family. Unable to tell Lily why he had such a hard time letting Harry sleep alone at night.

Unable to find peace.

Chapter 1

_I am not afraid. Being afraid only makes you pull back when you should be running forward. There is no place for fear in war, unless of course, you want to hide and pray that you escape unscathed. _

_-from the journal of Aster Jean Keeney; 12 June 1975_

He wondered who was going to have an aneurysm first: Bellatrix or Dolohov. The two had been bickering incessantly for the past half hour and Tom Marvolo Riddle showed no sign of stopping them.

And both had been getting more purple in the process from either lack of air…or was that Bellatrix's normal coloring? Deciding it didn't matter, he reviewed the information that-in the sense of keeping himself, Abigail, and the others alive for the foreseeable future-the Order had agreed to let him "discover". Of course, seeing Harry and Abigail argue was becoming a recurring event these days, as was seeing Mrs. Weasley and Mad-Eye argue over whether or not the Death Eaters had managed to poison their dinner.

And Remus, Tonks, Draco, and Abigail argue over who was supposed to be watching the children where and when was just another regular occurrence now. Of course, for the school year, Abigail and Neville would be heading back, in the interest of finishing their NEWTs.

"And what of the Order?" Riddle asked him, finally growing bored with the two's argument (that really was just going in circles of I know you are, but what am I).

"With the old fool dead, it seems Moody intends to take control." He had reservations about that, meaning that Mad-Eye had a habit of attacking now and asking questions later. "Arrangements for the brats this year have fallen to him. They say that Keeney and Longbottom will attend Hogwarts this year."

Snorts from Death Eaters around the table. It seems that the idea was more appropriate than not, given Abigail had been under house arrest since reappearing and Neville fared no better, only he had his precious plants taken away also. Augusta Longbottom had also shouted up a storm that kept most of them awake for the better part of the night, saying how dangerous it was, how it would look to everyone else, and didn't her grandson care how the family looked to the public?

"And what of Potter?" Riddle's eyes had an almost hungry gleam in them.

"The Order has him hidden somewhere in Surrey, perhaps with his relatives. His mother's sister and her husband are quite well known in the area." Well, that was mostly true. Vernon and Petunia Dursley were only well known for the many solicitors that they had to pay for to keep their precious blob of lard out of jail. Rumor had it that the boy had been kicked out of his current school and was hard pressed to find another.

Snorts all around the table. "They will move him next Saturday at nightfall." he finished, knowing that, at least to the Order this would make it look like a betrayal, but in reality would make things only more complicated than they were now.

He could only hope Riddle would just poison himself and do themselves all a favor.

**Eh. The reason that this story is taking a while is that I'm writing, disliking it when I come back, and rewriting and re-editing. Now, sadly, I am going to have to choose to kill of some characters. **

**Now, please vote for your favorite of the following:**

**Abigail A. Keeney Sirius O. Black**

**Fredrick G. Weasley Percival S. Weasley**

**George F. Weasley Cho Chang**

**Nymphadora "Tonks" Lupin Astoria Greengrass**

**Remus J. Lupin Blaise Zabini**

**Hermione J. Granger Ronald B. Weasley**

**Draco L. Malfoy Lucius A. Malfoy**

**Narcissa Malfoy Andromeda Tonks**

**Ted Tonks Colin Creevey**

**Dennis Creevey Cedric Diggory**

**And throw in whomever you would like to see survive that I missed. **

**The Death Eaters' votes will be open in a few chapters once I get the ball rolling. And obviously, those would be the ones you'd like the Order to covertly** **shove off a cliff.**

**Happy reading!**

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**

**Listening to: Suddenly I See (The Devil Wears Prada soundtrack)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Listening to: Renaissance Faire-Blackmore's Night**

**Ah, chapter two. Now, where oh where have my reviewers gone? Oh, where oh where can they be? With their opinions so fine, and comments so long, oh where oh where can they be?**

**Ha. Today marks ten days until I high tail it from New England to sunny Florida and Universal Studios ( I swear, if my dad makes one more crack about Casey Anthony, I'm going to snap back at him). But, a five-star hotel and hopefully some reviews await!**

Chapter 2

_Be prepared for anything. Expect that your worst fear will come true._

Domina Magicae _Aster Jean Keeney to Corneilus Fudge _

Mercy Hall, Avalon

It had been years since these plans had seen the light of day. Years since people thought they would be needed. But things had changed quickly and not for the better. Unsealing the documents, she swiftly reread the plans she'd memorized long ago.

Walking quickly and quietly to the telegraph office she handed the papers over to a clerk. "Additional files are on their way." she told him. "Tell everyone in London that I don't care how long it takes, but we'll have them all safe or here by the start of school. Their families may come as well. You know what to do."

"Yes, ma'am." The clerk put on his headset and began tapping out the first in a long series of messages.

London, England

"More are still coming through, sir." the telegraph operator looked at the man in front of him. "All the notices have been sent out, and arrangements have been made to help those who wish to move."

"What about those who do not?" the man asked. Was it only eight in the morning? He'd been here almost three hours if that were the case.

"Student visas have been issued, and will be sent to Hogwarts in the morning." the man replied. "Shall we send copies to the Ministry as well?"

"No, best keep quiet for now." he sighed. During the last war, the Ministry could be trusted. This time, no one outside Avalon could be counted upon.

"Send the notices and make sure that they're all approved by the Heads of Houses."

"Very good, sir."

{PAGEBREAK}

"And we'll have points set up here, here, and here" Remus Lupin pointed out on a map that was laid on the kitchen table. "And then we'll all take Portkeys?" Harry asked, noting that the seven locations were the homes of people who could be trusted not to turn them in to Voldemort.

Harry sighed as the other members of the Order began talking over one another. Leaving the main group, he wandered through the house, searching for his owl. As if knowing he was looking for her, Hedwig flew down from the room where they'd been staying since the beginning of summer. "Hullo," he said, smoothing her feathers, "How are you?" she nipped his finger in an affectionate sort of way. "We're moving tonight," he said, as she shifted from the banister to his outstretched arm. "I don't want you caught in the crossfire." he opened the window one-handed. "Meet me at the Burrow, Ginny'll take care of you till I get there." Hedwig hooted in a dignified sort of way and spread her wings. "Stay safe, Hedwig," he said, as she flew into the night.

Closing the window, he made his way back to his room one last time. Assorted spell books and robes that he was leaving behind were piled on the bed. His potion-making kit, various defense texts, old photograph album, and the invisibility cloak he'd inherited from his father were all crammed into a rucksack he was taking with him.

A resounding crash from down the hall told him that his aunt Narcissa was dealing with the resulting strain of packing as well as Draco had when he was told that they were only stopping here on their way to Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted's. For the past three hours she'd remained calm and composed, yet somehow insulted everyone from Voldemort to cursing Aster Jean, Abigail's mum, for ever purchasing the property in the first place. "-low down, good-for-nothing-" he heard her rant at Tonks as she passed the closed door. Mundungus Fletcher had skived off at the last minute and left them short so that she'd had to send her husband (and Abigail's future father-in-law) to Neville's to keep his gran in line.

Harry sighed. He'd miss this place. It was one of the few properties that the Avalon (and British) press had no idea about. Therefore, they were guaranteed more privacy then if they had chosen the Titanica as the base of operations. Glancing at the mirror only proved more time had passed then he would have liked. Black hair that looked as though he'd stuck a finger in an electrical outlet refused to lie flat despite however much he tried. Round glasses framed green eyes and somehow drew attention to the lightening bolt scar on his forehead. Rolling his eyes at the comment he was sure Ginny would make if she knew what he was doing, he hoisted up his rucksack and took a deep breath.

He came down the stairs into the sitting room in time to find Fred and George Weasley lined up next to Ron, Hermione, Fleur Delacour, Bill's fiancée, and Draco. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked as he saw Remus pass a flask to Moody.

"Gettin' you out of here safely," Moody said, "Hair."

"No!" Harry said, knowing that could only mean they were using Polyjuice. "I'm not going to do it."

"I told you he was going to be difficult." Hermione said, coming over and simply tugging Harry's hair. He jumped as she pulled out a few strands. "Hermione!"

"Relax mate," Fred said. "The worst that'll happen is we're stuck as scrawny gits forever," George finished. One by one, the six took a drink. Harry blinked. Fred, George, and Ron seemed to be shrinking. Hermione and Fleur's hair seemed to be receding into their skulls. Soon, six identical Harry Potter's were panting and gasping in front of him.

"Wow! We're identical!" the twins caught sight of one another.

"I think I'm still better-looking," Fred (or was it George?) said, looking at the reflection from the glass.

"Right, now. Potters, all of you-" Moody glared at Harry. "Clothes are in here. Rucksacks are in the other bag."

Harry wished that the others had a bit more discretion. "HA!" Ron called, glancing down at his bare chest. "Knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo."

"Ron, I know for a fact Hermione has one." The Harry that was Draco said, grinning as he put on glasses. "Where?" Ron asked eagerly, looking around as Hermione whacked them both. "That-is-private" she seethed, kicking Draco in the shins for good measure.

"I get it, lay off." Draco ducked Hermione's open hand as she tried getting another swing. "Hermione!"

"Draco, with your mother," Moody growled, his magical eye keeping Fred and George in line. Draco nodded. "Granger, with Remus, by threstal." Draco snorted and Hermione slapped him again. Harry knew Hermione lacked confidence on a broomstick.

"Fred with me by broom."

"Excelllent." the twins chorused. "George-" Moody pointed a finger at Percy. "Again by threstal."

"Really, you couldn't make it more interesting?" George asked, as Percy finished polishing his glasses. Percy tucked his glasses cloth into his pocket without saying anything. Harry figured that was better then the beginning of the summer when Fred and George had "accidentally" intercepted his owls to a girl named Audrey who was currently at another Avalon-funded base of operations. Percy himself, had been mum about the exact contacts but Ginny had readily informed Harry that Percy was now spending the majority of time in his room writing letters.

"Harry, you're with me," Sirius said, from where he had been observing in a corner.

"Which leaves you with me, Ron!" Tonks said brightly, knocking over the coat rack as she made her way in from the kitchen. Motherhood suited her, but it made her nonetheless clumsy. He wondered just how often that Remus let her hold Teddy, their son, without supervision. "Oops."

"And it seems Bill is with Fleur?" Harry surmised, watching the pairs finish up their preparations. Fleur and Bill answered by moving towards the door before any more last-minute warnings could be given.

Harry could see one issue hadn't been addressed. "How am I getting there?"

Fred and George cracked identical, evil grins. "Mate, you really-" Fred started

"Haven't seen the motorbike outside, have you?" George finished.

Harry groaned.

{PAGEBREAK}

Lucius wondered how one woman could be so annoying. Since he had arrived, she had done nothing but curse his family (well, technically his father), insult Snape (well, he kind of agreed with her) and smoke cigarette after cigarette to where he was surprised the vulture on her hat hadn't taken flight.

He could deal with the occasional wayward Weasley crashing on his sofa. He had withstood the Cruciatus Curse multiple times. But Augusta Longbottom was driving him to his limits.

Neville poked his head around a cloud of smoke and shot him a sympathetic smile. Right now, she was downing a glass of sherry so quickly he wouldn't doubt that she would forget that she'd volunteered to host a pair (temporarily, hopefully) so that Harry would make it to the Burrow safely.

Neville, for his part, had snuck into the kitchen to prepare any remedies that may be needed and had readily kept his gran in a semi-coherent state. "She's not usually like this," Neville assured him while swiping the glass from where his gran had set it on the mantle. "It's just nerves."

Lucius raised an eyebrow as Mrs. Longbottom stumbled and collapsed into her seat.

Nerves…right.

{PAGEBREAK}

The clicking of the machines had not stopped in what seemed like days. Their supervisor, a tall dark man sipped his tea as he watched them. As soon as one batch of messages came through, others would have to be sent, resent, and new ones would have to somehow make their way through the fray.

"That's the last batch now, sir." His secretary informed him, as one by one the telegraph operators caught up with their work. "The notices are already on their way. Copies have been sent back home and Minister Johnson has given approval for those who have already requested moving assistance."

"Very good." he replied. "Send them home. Let's have a day's rest before we begin again."

**Of course, who wants to bet on who developed this?**

**Now, to the votes: Death Eaters-who should be offed, redeemed, or imprisoned?**

**Bellatrix LeStrange Rabastan LeStrange**

**Rodolphus LeStrange Dolohov**

**Yaxley Thickenese**

**The Carrows **

**And finally…Professor S. Snape: what is his fate?**

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky **

**Listening to: Wolf Song-Celtic Woman**


	3. Chapter 3

**Listening to: The Ministry has Fallen-Ministry of Magic**

**T-3 days until I go to Universal Studios.**

**Now, I will be updating on time next week. And to the authors who are deleting totally awesome stories, what the heck? To those who have already had stories deleted- one of mine nearly was as well. Please, if you have a problem with a specific genre, ignore it. Don't report us and have our hard work taken away. **

**To the readers: campaign for this injustice to stop! I, R2-D2106, herby declare my support of the Characters Read Genre. **

**On a happier note: I'M FREAKING GOING TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF HARRY POTTER AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS! WHOOT! I leave Monday, early EST. **

**Happy reading! I'll check when I get back for reviews and comments! **

Chapter 3

_We can never be sure about what Riddle is planning. That is what makes him so dangerous._

_-from the journal of Aster Jean Keeney, 21 August 1975_

As soon as they took flight, they were surrounded. Draco felt like he was a little kid again, paired with his mum. Of course, he could only blame the fact that he'd been caught sneaking back to his room after….well some things were best left to the imagination. He supposed that being chased by a few of his dad's old mates would be less than having Mrs. Weasley force-feed him any more of her highly addictive cheese buns while she prattled about how "scandalous" the twins' conception was.

He was going to marry Abigail if it was the last thing he did. The thought of her was the only thing that he could focus on as the Death Eaters surrounded the fourteen of them.

"No one knew we were moving tonight." If Snape had gotten any information, Draco was more than sure that he would've handed over their every medical record.

"We can't do anything about it," he replied, making sure that he was still on the threstal. This was mad. Riding a hippogriff was one thing, that at least, he could tolerate. A jet of red light missed him by centimeters. He turned back. "IMPEDIMENTA!" He called, dismounting the rider. The scream told him that his fellow shouted told him that he also was abandoning the pursuit.

He could see Harry up ahead with Sirius and the motorbike. "I just hope no one does anything asinine." he commented, trying to make out his bearings. Finding Neville's gran's house in this mess would do him no good, even with the protection.

Up ahead, he could see the greater number was following Harry. "Son of a-" his mum didn't even try to tell him off, as she sent off Stunners at anyone who came within distance.

"EXPEILLARMUS"

"What an idiot." He said, wishing he could slap Harry upside the head. Everyone knew that was his signature move.

"It's him! It's the real one!"

"Damn it," Draco cursed, trying to maneuver the threstal so he could get closer to Harry.

"No!" His mum called against the sudden gust of wind. "We've got to get to our safe house! Sirius can help him." Draco looked at her. For a brief second, he saw in her eyes recognizable fear. If he, Draco went after Harry, there was a chance he could be killed. If Draco were killed, the twins would have no father. And that meant…oh, Merlin, Abigail. He couldn't leave her.

He gulped and nodded, turning his threstal back towards London.

{PAGEBREAK}

Harry would never be able to clearly recollect the next few hours. All he could piece together were a mix of voices, some pleading, Voldemort's laughing. Occasionally, he could focus long enough to see a glimpse of where he was. Vaguely, he remembered taking hold of an old hairbrush that was the Portkey, and the familiar smell of grass.

Someone grabbed him and half-dragged him into the Burrow and shoved a glass into his hand. The others gathered around, quiet. Only Teddy, Eileen, and Arthur made any noise to get attention.

After what seemed like a long time, he and Ron made their way to Ron's room at the top of the stairs.

What sounded like water howling filled his ears as he drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, a cool breeze filled the house, taking in the sight.

As she checked on the twins one final time, Abigail could have sworn she saw the hem of a dress as it rounded a corner. Dismissing it as a figment of her imagination, she slept.

{PAGEBREAK}

Minerva McGonagall had seen a lot. She had survived seven years with the Marauders and Severus Snape at each other's throats. She had survived the war with little physical damage.

But still, nothing prepared her for the greeting that she saw the day she came back to prepare for the new term.

_The Chamber of Secrets has been opened._

_All enemies of Hogwarts…beware._

The Chamber of Secrets had been opened only once in living memory. Over fifty years ago, and it had wrought so much damage, she could only wonder what she had done to deserve this. Keeping the students safe from Death Eaters was one thing. Something they didn't even know what they were fighting was another.

"Like it?" A voice said behind her. She turned. An unfamiliar ghost was standing there. "Did it myself," the ghost added, as Professor McGonagall took her in. She was about nineteen or twenty, she guessed. It was hard to tell with her hair kept up under a coif, similar to the ones the Avalon priestesses wore. The gown looked as though it had been second hand at some point. But she recognized the grin. She'd seen it far too many times for it not to be unrecognizable.

James Potter had that same grin.

"Aster Keeney," the ghost introduced herself. "course, we never met in life. On the other hand, there were some close encounters when I snuck into the Gryffindor common room but I don't think that counts. Really-"

Professor McGonagall silenced her with a look as easily as she had silenced the Marauders. "And may I ask, why are you here?"

"This year is going to be a dark one. You need every advantage you can get." the ghost replied. "Oh, and about the Chamber of Secrets. Harry killed the basilisk last year. I figure it's time for Slytherin to get their share of scares, don't you?" she floated away and disappeared.

For quite possibly the first time in her life, she was speechless.

{PAGEBREAK}

The Burrow

"So, what's the importance of this book?" Ron asked, looking at the covers as he turned it in his hands.

Hermione snatched it from him. "Because, if the Hallows do exist, Voldemort would want them."

"And if he has them, we're screwed." Draco finished. "Besides, that copy is in good condition."

"Compared to mine at least," Abigail said, drinking Butterbeer straight from the bottle.

"Abigail, my riding gloves from when I was five are in better condition." Neville said, looking up from his book. He suddenly grabbed the back of his head. "Hey!"

"What?" Abigail asked sweetly, pocketing her wand.

"All that aside, where's the best place to start?" Harry asked. "We can't go back to Godric's Hollow at the moment and any safe houses are out. Sirius and them would just shove us back to the isle if they find us there."

"Neville and I can check out Hogwarts." Abigail suggested, opening another bottle. "We'll have plenty of time-"

"-if you skive off a majority of your classes." Hermione interjected. "You don't know what you're looking for do you?"

"Yes we do." Ginny said, setting one of Fred and George's Pygmy Puffs on the floor. "Ravenclaw's diadem. That'll be the easiest thing to find."

"That'll be a cheerful conversation." Neville said. "_Domina _Helena, do you know where your mum's diadem was dumped by the moron who thought to curse it?"

"You can't phrase it like that." Hermione said. "Just handle it carefully."

"Hermione, when my dad asked her about that, she got er…a bit shirty with him." Harry said. "There is no subtlety. We can't sneak around. We've got to have him dead."

"Well, we could always tell him we know where the Chamber of Secrets is." Ron said. "I'm sure that'll get his blood pressure up."

The next few days, the group was hardly left alone for a moment. Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't doubt that this was because Mrs. Weasley was intent on them not leaving after the wedding.

"You know Mum," Ron said one afternoon while they'd gone out to feed the chickens. "She won't accept we're going till we're gone." Draco was too busy lighting a cigarette so Neville answered, "Yeah, and then we've got to keep an eye on what's going on. Did you see the headline in the _Advocate _the other day?"

"Oh, yeah," Harry said. "I can't believe they're doing it."

"Doing what?" Ron asked. "All I saw was the announcement about Snape as Headmaster." Draco let out an angry puff of air. "Not that. Operation Home Front."

"Operation what?"

"Operation Home Front." Hermione said. "It was put in place years ago. The Avalon Ministry started keeping track of Muggleborns in case Voldemort took over the school."

"The plan was to send out notices to the students of the situation." Neville expanded, dumping the last bit of feed as the chickens fluttered around. "Give them a choice to go to Avalon Academy, where it's safe, and their families are safe or go to Hogwarts and send their families into hiding."

"And to some extent make them Avi," Draco added, taking another drag. "Then they couldn't touch 'em without giving Avalon a cause to draw out their support."

"And who approved of this?"

"No one, officially" Harry said. "Unofficially, my dad came up with the idea. Abigail's mum convinced them to pass it."

"So if the Death Eaters try to stop Muggleborns from attending," Ron said. "They'd really be refusing a bunch of Avis?"

Draco nodded and stubbed out his cigarette.

"They really think of everything."

**To Bri-I hope this explains what was going on in the last chapter. **

**Now, who wants to do a parallel- Harry, Ron, and Hermione's story (camping, looking for the Horcruxes, etc) as well as the Hogwarts gang (Abigail, Neville, etc.). **

**Any and all ideas/ concerns/ plot holes will be taken into consideration. Remember- as an author I support my readers in helping me edit, re-edit, and cover all my bases.**

**Happy National Donut Day!Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**


	4. Chapter 4

**Listening to: House Song-Ministry of Magic**

**Well, dear readers, I'm back from my journey to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure. It was AWESOME! I went on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey THREE TIMES. The Dragon Challenge, I did the Chinese Fireball TWICE as the Hungarian Horntail was not running. The Flight of the Hippogriff was okay, I guess. Not as daring as I thought it would be, but then again, Buckbeak's harmless unless you insult him. **

**Hogwarts Castle….holy heck, did I hold up the line. There's so much to see that I want to go back and see it AGAIN! I also went to Honeyduke's where I got a Chocolate Frog (seriously, they're huge), and a jar of Sherbert Lemon. Then of course, on to Olivander's where I was fitted for my wand (twelve inches, hawthorn, one phoenix tail feather core) and Dervish and Banges where I got my robes (Madame Milkin's was not offered here). My mum and I had dinner at the Three Broomsticks then visited the Hog's Head (neither Madam Rosmerta nor Aberforth were there). However, we did meet part of the delegation from Beaubatonxs and Durmstrang during the Triwizard rally. **

Chapter 4

_Celebration, what is that? Is that when we purposefully forget this war and think of no one but ourselves?-Aster Jean Keeney on the eve of her Induction (20 December 1977)_

"I feel ridiculous." Ron said, looking in the mirror, tugging on his sleeve. The dress robes he was wearing weren't exactly the most fashionable, but they weren't the ones he would have chosen for himself, either. Left with the choice of wearing a ghastly set that more resembled Ginny's dress and Arthur Keeney's old set, he'd wisely chosen Arthur's. Of course, even with alterations and the removal of the tricorn hat, Ron still felt like he was wearing as many layers as the girls.

"Trust me when I say this isn't the worst outfit I've ever been in." Draco said, trying to see if his hem was fraying. "Remember, Neville?" Neville, who was casually reading a book while the others fussed, grinned. "Oh yeah. Wasn't that the time when you showed up in class the next day in Abigail's uniform?"

Draco tinged pink as the others laughed. "Maybe." he said stiffly. "But didn't you wear Ginny's heels on a bet?"

Neville seemed to choke for a moment. "Maybe," he replied just as stiffly. "How is it Harry seems to avoid all embarrassing moments?"

"Because, unlike some, he has common sense enough to not get caught." They turned to find Ginny in her stays and underskirts at the door. "Mum's been looking for you." she said. "The guests are starting to arrive." With a flounce, she turned and headed back to the room where she was changing with Hermione, Abigail, and Fleur's sister Gabrielle.

Mr. and Mrs. Delacour had arrived the night before-two days after Harry's flight from the safe house in Surrey. At the moment, Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Delacour were currently helping Fleur into her wedding dress. In a moment of brilliance, the boys had retreated to Ron's room to avoid the large part of last-minute alterations, unwanted interruptions and in general chaos.

"Well," Draco said, pulling a bottle out of nowhere and taking a drink. "Let's to it." he passed the bottle to Neville who took a quick swallow, then Harry, and finally Ron who knew that if his mum-or Aunt Muriel-smelled alcohol on his breath he'd be in big trouble.

The tent that had been set up for the wedding was arranged in the manner Harry had seen in St. Paul's Cathedral the one time they'd gone on a trip with their year from Avalon to explore Muggle London. He supposed, that since Bill had left the planning up to Fleur, it would be a British ceremony, rather than an Avi one. The only major difference, as he'd explained to a very eager Romilda Vane countless times during the last term was simply that instead of a Priestess, the Druid or whomever would bind the couple and there would be no formal exchange of rings that were at the heart of an Avi ceremony.

By all accounts, Abigail's mum and…Harry couldn't bring himself to think the name, had blended the three ceremonies-Muggle, British, and Avi into a quick one that allowed Aster Jean Keeney to take up residence at the safe house near Hogsmeade and allow…him…to not miss class or appear in any manner except an ordinary one. That is to say, undermining Harry's parents at every turn.

"I feel like a damn fairy." Ginny said when she appeared beside Harry. He had to admit she looked nice. The dress in a traditional Avalon design and decorated with outlines of leaves in light green contrasting the gold background nicely. Despite the fact she had matching shoes, he highly doubted Ginny was actually wearing them and would only put them on if her mother caught her.

"That makes two of us." Abigail replied, appearing on Harry's other side, holding Arthur, while Draco came behind bearing Eileen. Abigail was wearing traditional Avalon blue and had unearthed her mother's circlet from somewhere which made her somehow look like Cleopatra, except her gown was more in the Tudor Renaissance style.

"I'm not complaining," Draco said, "Did you see Xeno Lovegood?"

"Sun colors," Harry said, somehow blinded as he spotted the pair. The daffodil in Luna's hair was hard to miss. "At least Luna doesn't look like a hippie-"

"Insulting my girlfriend?" Neville came up, looking as though he'd been whacked in the shins by a cane. "Did you see that pink flamingo just now?"

"Auntie Muriel." Ginny said. "Thank Merlin I have yet to meet her."

"Just nod, and get away." Ron advised. "She used to come to Christmas dinner. Stopped for some reason when Fred and George let loose a dung bomb under her chair."

"Imagine that." Draco said dryly, seeing his dad try to hide a grimace as she passed. "Why are we here again?"

"Well, half the crowd wants proof your dad isn't going to turn around and kill us all, and the other half wants to see that I do exist." Abigail said as if she were discussing the weather. "And after all this-"

"Mum's going to haul you two somewhere she considers safe and we won't hear from you till Riddle's gone." Ron finished. "That sound about right?"

"Just as long as we get through today without anyone getting murdered, we should be fine." Neville said. "Sound good?"

{PAGEBREAK}

"Remind me to off Ron later," Ginny said, taking a seat next to Harry.

"Off Ron later," Harry replied, handing her a drink. "What'd he do now?" Ginny took a sip of her drink before explaining.

"Well, for one, he left me to deal with Auntie Muriel, because he was too busy trying to sneak a song."

"Don't take it personally," Fred said, waltzing by with George with drinks for their respective partners. "Muriel insults everyone."

"Talking about Muriel?" Hermione said, elbowing her way through the twins to get to the table. "I dislike her already. 'Is this the Muggle-born? Bad hair and skinny ankles.'"

"Bet Ron more than made up for it," Harry joked. Hermione glared at him. "Sorry, but you were hard to miss. Sneaking off and everything."

"Well next time, loan us that cloak of yours," Ron took a seat next to Hermione. He heard a rapid set of swearing in French. "How much d'you want to bet she doesn't understand half of that?"

"Well, Abigail has a tendency to mix French with English when someone upsets her like that." Harry said, craning his neck for a better look. "Oh, no."

"It's not Abigail doing that." Hermione said. "I think things would set themselves on fire otherwise."

"It's Tonks." Neville said, pulling a chair out for Luna. "Muriel just made an off-color joke and Tonks took offense."

"Not everyone has the skin tone for sun colors." Luna said. "You wouldn't expect Mr. Malfoy to show up in yellow, would you?" Ron, who had just taken a sip of his drink choked.

"Don't think so," he gasped, trying to breathe. "But, really what was it about?"

"Abigail, her mum….and" Neville spread his hands. "You know…" Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Tonks is still in a huff about people insisting she should be Lady of Avalon."

"Oh, and what am I, chopped liver?" Ginny asked. "I'm going to get something a bit stronger." She stood up and made for the Burrow.

"Ginny was third," Harry clarified for Ron who looked dumbfounded. "Abigail, then Tonks and Ginny. But, Tonks-"

"Slept with her boyfriend on a day that wasn't Beltane, and let the world know about it." Draco finished. "I don't think I've ever heard Aunt Andy scream so loud."

"Why is that a bad thing?" Ron asked, watching Bri Fairchild and Fred dance. George and Angelina were standing to one side, sipping drinks.

"Every idiot before my mum knew that religion was king." Abigail bit out, shifting Arthur a bit. "If you didn't follow the Wheel of the Year, than you weren't fit to rule."

"And Tonks went against that tradition?" They all nodded. "With whom?"

"Well, he's a redhead, was her year, and once flew all the way to London just so they could 'befoul and besmirch the house like Aster and Severus' the way Uncle Ted put it . " Ginny hinted, pointing to where Oliver Wood was standing with other Quidditch nuts.

"Charlie?" Ron guessed and Ginny nodded.

At that moment, a shimmering lynx Patronus appeared in the midst.

"_The Ministry has fallen. They are coming."_

**Oh dear, oh dear. Of course dear readers, I didn't want to bore you with the details, so I will answer any questions that you have in a review. Now, onto the rest of the story….who wants both the camping AND what's going on at Hogwarts, with Draco, the Weaseleys, etc? **

**Hmmmm?**

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**


	5. Chapter 5

**Listening to: The Flaw in the Plan-Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office**

**Sorry about the late update, but I swear, it's still Friday!**

**Okay, I have decided, that for the sake of keeping everyone updated on all characters, I will be covering an edited version of Abigail and Neville at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione's hunt for the Horcruxes, and Draco, Ginny, Sirius, Narcissa, and Lucius hiding out.**

**Now, of course, throughout the story, you'll have to tell me: who should survive, who's sadly being offed. Which Death Eaters you'd like to see obliterated and which are sent to Azkaban. Of course, the main question here is: should Abigail and Draco get married? Or should they remain unwed until AFTER Voldemort has been sent to the ether of the afterlife?**

Chapter Five

_We are the same age, you and I. Everyone from first-year on has reached this age. It is what war does to us. For the day we enter our inheritance we are old enough to die._

_-_Domina Avalonae _Aster Jean Keeney to DMLE official Bartemious Crouch Sr._

It was worse than school. Every instinct was telling them to stay and fight, but neither he nor Ron had time to react before Hermione grabbed the two of them and the Burrow vanished.

Appearing in the middle of London, they quickly made for a side street. "What the hell is going on?" Ron asked, hurrying to keep up with Hermione.

"Death Eaters, for sure." She said, trying to take in all the sights at once to scan for threats. "Better we get out before the real chaos starts."

"But what about the others?" Ron asked. "Draco? Ginny? And what's Neville going to do?"

"Well, Neville's going into hiding with his gran until school. Draco's probably dragging Abigail to Avalon kicking and screaming, and Ginny's probably going to be the Death Eaters' greatest fear." Harry said as they ducked into an alley. "How are we supposed to change when our stuff's at the Burrow?"

Hermione opened her purse. "Undetectable Extension Charm," she said fishing out their clothes. A loud stack of books fell in the bag. "Damn, I had them all stacked by subject."

"Well, hopefully this is a sight better than what the others are doing." Ron said, ducking under the Invisibility Cloak to change.

"What about the others?" Harry asked. "D'you think they know where the safe houses are?"

"It's a good bet," Hermione said, as Ron threw the cloak off and handed it to Harry. "For the moment though, it'd probably be a good idea for you to stay underneath that."

"Figured that myself," Harry said, slipping off his dress robes and into something more comfortable. "We should probably find a spot to plan, though."

"This way," Hermione said, leading them out along Tottenham Court Road.

{PAGEBREAK}

The coffee shop was empty. Harry supposed that it was usual for this time of night where people were more likely heading to pubs and home than stopping in for a cappuccino. Of course, to have two windswept people just burst in while Harry stayed hidden under the Invisibility Cloak wasn't the waitress's usual nightly experience. Or so they guessed as they started discussing plans of where to go first.

"We could try Grimmauld Place." Ron said. "We got into that last year."

"We had Abigail with us, though." Hermione said. "She was the reason why we got in."

"I don't know how that happened." Ron said. "She technically doesn't exist, according to the Blacks' will."

"Well, we do know that she was able to get us in considering that Sirius's parents didn't even know that Regulus had gotten her mum pregnant." Harry said, gripping his wand tightly. All three of them were on edge, but Hermione was forcing herself to relax. He could see a pair of workmen outside, talking to each other as they smoked cigarettes.

"That could've been a fluke." Ron said. "We were only in there an hour before we left. We don't know if we can get back in. Why not try that safe house we were in earlier this summer?"

"They've probably thought of that." Hermione said. "I mean, we weren't exactly secretive about it with all the protection charms."

"Put it that way, it'd be only a matter of time before they come swooping in-Thanks." Ron said to the waitress, eyeing the cappuccino with a speculative eye. "This looks disgusting," he said when she had left.

Hermione sipped hers and grimaced. "It's disgusting but it'll keep us awake long enough to get somewhere safe."

"So, what do you say?" Harry asked trying to keep the rising panic under control as the two workmen entered and sat down at a table near theirs. "Grimmauld Place?"

Ron nodded minutely, taking a sip. "And I think that You-Know-Who's name is probably Taboo by now," he looked at the men who were ordering from the waitress.

"Who?" Hermione asked, "Riddle?"

"Well, the other one," Ron said as the two men took a seat near them.

Hairs stood up on the back of his neck as one of the workmen stood, checked to see that the waitress was otherwise occupied and pulled out a wand.

Reacting on instinct, Harry had his out before the man could even think of which spell he wanted to use. Throwing off the Invisibility Cloak, he shouted, "_Stupefy!_" the force of the spell shot the man backwards, throwing off his hat.

The other workman, a Death Eater Ron recognized as Dolohov shot a curse at Hermione who ducked and fired back with one of her own. Remembering something he'd glimpsed in Snape's old Potions book, Harry shouted, "_Sectumsempra!_" Dolohov collapsed. "Let's get out of here," Ron said, grabbing his bag.

Unluckily, the waitress reentered at that moment. "Get out of here." Harry said. "Go home. If anyone asks, you had no idea." The waitress nodded, terrified and bolted.

They nearly ran to Grimmauld Place hoping that they could get in.

**Who wants them to get in, who wants them to find a Plan B? Who wants Godric's Holllow, and who wants Malfoy Manor? **

**C'mon, readers, I need input!**

**Happy voting!**

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**

**Listening to: Double Trouble-Harry Potter 3**


	6. Chapter 6

**Listening to: Edge of Glory-Glee**

**Well, mes amis, it's Friday. You know what that means: UPDATE!**

**Sorry, the heat here in the Northeast is draining my sense of humor and replacing it with Severus's, although I don't think it's all together a bad thing.**

Chapter Six

_A curse cannot be undone, no matter what regrets we have._

_-Lily_ _Evans, Dec. 1977_

The house was as cold and dark as they had left it the summer before. Mrs. Black, instead of raging at them, simply huffed and the curtain in front of her portrait flew shut. "Glad to see we're welcome," Harry said as they set their gear in the sitting room. "D'you think that there's any food?"

"We'll worry about that later." Hermione said. So far, the sitting room appeared to be the only room safe enough to sleep in. "What about upstairs?"

"Let's check it out," Harry suggested. They came up the stairs. A broken chair lay in pieces along the hallway. Kreacher had been unable to completely erase the destruction on the walls wrecked with wayward spells or had simply spent the past years simply making sure the house was still standing. "What happened up here?" Ron asked, seeing what looked like blood on what remained of a picture frame.

"A lot," Harry said. "December year before I was born, Aster Keeney and Regulus-Sirius's brother-came to have dinner with his parents. They had some information she wanted."

"What happened after that?" Ron seemed unable to tear his gaze away from the odd blood stains.

"The LeStranges showed up." Hermione said. "Bellatrix recognized Aster from before."

"And the famous Keeney temper got the better of her and it ended in people trying to kill each other." Harry said. "By the time Uncle Ted got there, Bellatrix had Aster in the kitchen and slit her throat."

"That wasn't the half of it." Hermione said skirting over some broken glass. "Aster had the words 'Avalon whore' carved into her arm, Regulus got outed as an Avi-" "Nearly got himself disowned." Harry added. "Among other things."

"Sounds horrible." Ron murmured, trying and failing to imagine his own parents doing that.

"It's basically what had people calling for the whole lot of them to be hung." Harry said. "Hanging's capital punishment back on Avalon. Only through of an Act of Attainder can you get that."

"And Bellatrix has her own Act of Attainder out?"

"Kill on sight." Harry said grimly. "It's why no one knew if coming here would be a good idea."

"That's because, according to us, Abigail doesn't exist. And Sirius was disowned, so it could go to her." Ron put the pieces together. "On the other hand, Abigail's Avi-born, so she can't inherit here."

"Well, she can, since her father-Regulus-was Avi." Hermione said. "But it has to be written down in a will specifically mentioning her. And since she's marrying Draco and since the Ministry's biased-"

"They'll put Draco down instead." Harry finished. When Hermione looked at him, he shrugged. "We all were there for that conversation." he said. "I'll take Sirius's room. That'll be safest."

"The only thing in that room which can scar you for life are the posters." Ron joked, seeing how Sirius had (with a Permanent Sticking Charm no doubt) affixed pictures of motorbikes, Muggle girls in bikinis, and Gryffindor banners. "If Ginny finds out, of course."

"Who's going to tell her? You?" Hermione snorted. Ron shook his head. "I…I'd rather face Death Eaters." He stuttered.

"Right' Harry said. "So we'll figure out a plan tomorrow?"

{PAGEBREAK}

Severus Snape knew that if he made it until the end of the school year, he would be the luckiest man alive.

Dumbledore's old study was as inviting as returning to his father at the end of school. He didn't want to be in this position, but the whole concept of his maneuvering was protecting Abigail. A majority of Slytherin House would be willing to slit her throat the first night back. The Carrows- Riddle's appointed Defense and Muggle Studies teachers for the year would not kill her. Riddle wanted to kill her himself. His objective, at the present was to keep her away from them-the Slytherins, especially Nott and Parkinson, the Carrows-he knew Alecto would leave her alone, but he wasn't so sure about Amycus.

Severus knew that the major obstacle in all this-unwittingly or otherwise-was Abigail herself. Avalon families invested a great deal in upholding family pride and he'd seen the aftermath of Barty Crouch Junior insinuating that Aster's family was made up of whores and deviants. Crouch had survived, but his nose never looked the same again. In fact, it had made Mad-Eye Moody's look normal. Considering the man had been begging the Aurors to take him to Azkaban, it was fairly easy to surmise exactly _what _kind of damage Aster had done or at very least, threatened to do.

He was fairly certain Abigail would be the same way. And just last year Pansy Parkinson had been in the hospital wings numerous times due to "accidents." He wanted to snort at the thought. Parkinson was about as clumsy on foot as Harry was on a broom.

Abigail was even-tempered when it suited her to be, but she was as about as friendly as a rampaging Hippogriff when she was insulted.

He only hoped she would see the practical side of the plan. If this succeeded, she could report what the students were doing in concern to undermining the Carrows, and he could help them succeed.

He glanced at the portraits of sleeping past Headmasters and Headmistresses. It would be difficult.

"Is there trouble brewing?" a voice asked him. He spun, drawing his wand. "What are you doing here?" he asked Helena Ravenclaw. She cocked her head to one side.

"Trying to help," she replied.

{PAGEBREAK}

These four walls were taunting him.

Never before had he been forced to hide like this. Keep a low profile, yes, but all out vanish? It was unheard of! He supposed, given the current climate, the people at the Ministry were more likely to kill him than Ted Tonks, who had presently joined him in front of the telly.

The Avalon Broadcasting Channel was largely uncensored. The reporters got their facts straight unlike the _Daily Prophet_, which was under control of the Ministry.

Looking around, he thought that under more pleasant circumstances, he supposed this place would be perfect for a quiet holiday.

Overall, Lucius supposed that it could have turned out worse. Draco could be a Death Eater and he and his family could be held hostage in Malfoy Manor which, he had abandoned to whomever came across it. Instead, he was a grandfather, Draco was engaged to a pleasant girl, and he and Narcissa were making progress.

Two years on, he was more or less understanding the situation. His father for all intents and purposes, had fathered a child with Abigail Amaryllis Keeney. Arthur Abraxas Keeney had been raised on Avalon and had only minimal contact with British wizards. Just when the Lady of Avalon had begun to give up hope of ever having another child, Aster Jean had been born. Five years on, his father, upon Voldemort telling him about Arthur, had killed not only Arthur, but Brice Howell and their unborn child. Aster Jean had witnessed the ordeal. The Death Eaters that had accompanied his father (no doubt in hopes of looting whatever valuables were lying around) had seen Aster as she hurried back to her own room. Intent on wiping out the Keeney family once and for all, they had set the house ablaze and it wasn't until several years later that they found that she had survived.

Things had only gotten more complicated when Narcissa and Regulus had snuck off to Avalon Academy. Aster and Narcissa had become fast friends and Aster's mother saw the perfect opportunity to make Abraxas pay for what he had done.

Of course, rumors of Aster casting her own curse still spread. The details were always vague and sometimes alluded to something of killing the Malfoy family off one by one.

By all accounts, James Potter's persistent wooing of Lily Evans was his attempt at escaping what Sirius referred to as "the family that's the most screwed out of all of us." Lucius had to admit that was a brilliant way to go about it. But rumor had it that Aster beat him by a year.

Of course, no proof had been unearthed that he'd heard of. And it wasn't he was going to walk into Hogwarts and demand answers.

He understood what he'd seen on transcripts of old debriefings.

"_When you think you've finally figured it out, the game gets more complicated."_

{PAGEBREAK}

5 June 1980

Unknown location

So. Malfoy had a son. Abraxas's grandson.

Midday sun glittered as she walked along the path, leaves fluttering in her wake.

For fifteen years, she'd tried to find a fitting way to make that son of a bitch pay. Now, it was time.

She whispered the words to the river. What she was saying could not be undone, never. The curse would haunt the family until it was fulfilled.

_Let them suffer as I have suffered and lose the one they love most when all seems to come right. _Folding the paper into a boat, she let it drift away.

Her brother's murder would be avenged.

**I think that this can be summed up in two words: oh dear.**

**Now, reviews, readings, and happiness to all and to all, a hopefully relaxing and cool weekend.**

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**

**Listening to: Dr Phil (Friday, 22 June 2012)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Listening to: Teenage Dream-Glee Cast (Warblers, actually)**

**Well, here we are on Friday, once again. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it.**

**I've started working day shifts at work, but don't worry, I've got a few chapters pre-written for editing and just need to keep up with updating. **

**Remember: any inconsistency, any at all, let me know.**

**Now, for those of you who have pointed out that Peter Pettigrew has not been mentioned, he will be mentioned in this story. The reason I didn't mention him was because I was wondering what the hell to do with him (dead, run away, faked his death like in the books, etc.)**

**Enough of that, let's get on to lucky number seven!**

Chapter Seven

_There is something about them that puts even their closest companions on edge._

_-Bartemious Crouch Sr. on the Keeney family_

The first of September came almost too quickly for anyone's liking that year along with what Draco considered to be a load of shit in making all students attend Hogwarts. Many Muggleborns and Half-Bloods had vanished-either on their own or with Avalon help. Those that did appear on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters were those that he knew Professor Snape (recently appointed Headmaster, much to everyone's general disgust) would most likely leave alone. The Creevey brothers' parents, he knew had been sheltered at the Titanica, one of the many Avi-run properties that had been offered up as safe houses where they could continue their education without Voldemort's interference if things grew too bad for them.

He had not made Abigail promise to keep her head down and not say anything. They both knew that wouldn't happen. He also knew that she would go out of her way to make things hell for the Death Eaters that now swept around the school, as she wasn't so subtle to not attempt to hide her copies of the _Lord of the Rings _trilogy. Neville, on the other hand, had packed a copy of _The Wizard of Oz_ and a complete set of the works of Shakespeare rather than the required texts for now-mandatory Muggle Studies and Defense. Looking at the titles on the booklist, Draco doubted that "Defense" was even the proper name for that class anymore and Muggle Studies had suddenly become mandatory, whatever the reason, he figured Voldemort was behind it.

He was sure that Voldemort or no, the school would be lucky to still be standing by Sahmain. Fred and George had also promised delivery on a large amount of items developed specifically to wreck havoc, provided of course, that the mail wasn't searched too closely.

"So," Abigail said. "No telling me to stay out of trouble?" she was smiling, a good thing, he thought.

"I know it's impossible." he grinned. "Just write so we can have an inside view." The train whistled and he pulled her towards him. "Come home safe," he whispered in her ear. He held her until the last possible second before she joined Neville.

"I love you!" she called as the train pulled out of the station.

"I love you too," he said, wishing that he were able to go with her.

{PAGEBREAK}

The Gryffindors on the train had readily accepted Abigail into their group given she had no qualms about hexing the Slytherins when they deserved it. She and Neville had been sitting quietly at a table when the train suddenly stopped. Abigail rolled her eyes as a Death Eater stalked into their compartment. Neville stood up. "He's not here." he said.

"Don't bother Neville," Abigail said, checking for non-existent spots under her nails. "Riddle's proven that stupidity is the one thing he values."

The other students held their breath. Dean Thomas, returning on an Operation Home Front visa looked shocked.

The Death Eater grinned nastily.

{PAGEBREAK}

Harry knew that hiding here was only buying them time to start searching for whatever Horcrux that had been hidden in Gringotts. Personally, he thought breaking into the bank would require subterfuge, and Fred and George's expertise. But, as Fred and George were currently on the run with everyone else, they had what they could find and what Hermione had put in their bags.

Ron was playing with the radio when Harry entered the kitchen. He could catch snatches of songs until Ron gave up finding anything and simply listened to the speaker.

"…and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the entire Malfoy family are under investigation. Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy have been missing since early last Sunday as well as Draco Malfoy's twins, Arthur and Eileen Keeney. Draco's fiancée Abigail has not responded to ANN letters asking her opinion on this matter. It is suspected that Bellatrix LeStrange, Narcissa Malfoy's sister might be involved with the disappearance, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet." Ron dropped his fork on his plate with a clatter, looking at Harry.

"What does that mean?" he asked hollowly.

"It could mean anything." Hermione said, quickly moving to clean up the plates. "They could have faked their disappearance. I know there's a few safe houses that they've set up-" the plates slipped and dropped. "Damn," she bent down to pick up the pieces, forgetting her wand.

"What about Mum and Dad?" Ron asked. "They're not Avi."

"Bill is," Harry said, thinking of Ginny. "Charlie is. They could get them somewhere safe." He flicked his wand at the dish and it repaired itself. "Only thing is though, Abigail and Neville haven't completed their NEWTs."

"Draco wouldn't let her go willingly," Ron said. "Even with that article in the _Daily Prophet _making attendance mandatory." He gazed down at the copy of the _Avalon Advocate_. This newspaper they could trust at least. He flipped the page idly, and saw the headline:

_Missing Avis Presumed Dead_

On 1 August, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley went missing after Death Eaters attacked the wedding reception of Mr. Weasley's older brother, Bill Weasley (Avalon Department of Financial Affairs) to Fleur Delcaour (Avalon Liaison from France). The three were reported missing later that night by their families. As the search for what some are now referring to as the "Golden Trio" (a reference to their membership in Gryffindor during their time at Hogwarts School), is growing desperate as each day passes with no new information. Last night, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, issued a statement saying that he believes that they are in fact, alive and well, and are searching for an important artifact that may lead to the downfall of Tom Marvolo Riddle, alias Lord Voldemort. However, their sudden disappearance, many fear, may be a cover-up of a sinister nature.

Well, they at least had some facts straight. He knew that his mum would have a thing or two to say when this was all over, but for now, the only thing keeping her at home with Ginny and his dad was Voldemort.

{PAGEBREAK}

"I don't like it." Harry said, squinting in the mirror. He scratched his head.

"Stop that," Hermione slapped his hand away. "You're going to ruin it."

"Hermione, it's a miracle that thing lasted as long as it did." Ron said. "Besides, I've always hoped Harry would be a part of the family. I just wasn't expecting it to happen like this." Hermione had dug around in Regulus's room before finding a supply of wigs they suspected had been a major part in the first Avalon group's many escapades, thankfully unharmed other than a few stray burn marks that Ron really didn't want to think about where they came from.

They were preparing for a train ride to Godric's Hollow and needed disguises. So, he was now wearing a wig Hermione had cropped short to make him look more masculine. Hermione had found a nice blonde wig that suited her well in Harry's opinion, whereas Ron was forced to dye his eyebrows brown to match his. Harry, on the other hand, was wearing a wig that more resembled crushed cherries that had their juice squeezed around his hair.

All in all, they figured they could have done worse. In fact, they could have been forced to go through this venture having to drink Polyjuice-even Moody's modified version every so often. None of them had any inclination to proceed in that manner.

"So, Abigail's mum really pulled something like this off?" Ron asked, as they made their way though Muggle London .

"She looked so convincing that even McGonagall was taken in." Harry said, "Ran around Hogwarts looking like Mum most of their sixth year."

"Wow." Ron said. "Even Fred and George can't pull that one off." He studied his reflection in the mirror. "Why did she do it, though?"

"So they could use the library." Hermione said, "comparing notes on what information there was about Tom Riddle, curses, hexes and such. Apparently somehow she was the most respectable."

"I take offense to that," Harry said. He was quiet for a moment. "Yeah, the only other respectable one is Remus, but I don't think Dad would've let him in on it."

"How did they get caught?" Ron asked, keeping one eye on a pair of people who looked odd.

"Well, they didn't line it up right, and Slughorn found Lily Evans talking to Dad when Lily Evans had just left class." The stories seemed to make them relax and blend in a bit better.

"That makes no sense whatsoever." Ron said. "What did he do?"

"Grabbed the both of them and hauled them to Dumbledore's office." Harry said. "We're here," They went inside the small station.

"Okay, so we're headed to King's Cross," Hermione handed them the underground passes. "Then onto Wales."

"How are we going to get all the way to Wales without getting caught?" Ron asked dubiously as they boarded the car.

"Luck," Harry replied.

{PAGEBREAK}

Draco sat in the rocking chair, holding Arthur. Abigail's letters told them almost nothing of what was going on. They were brief, to the point, yet contained almost no information at all.

He supposed that his letters were no better. He updated her on how fast the twins were growing and what he and Ginny were working on. Arthur's _bulla _glinted in the moonlight. The twins were old enough to wear them and he found that somewhat comforting. They were relatively plain, as far as _bullae _went without much more than the standard family emblem and good-luck spell in runes. Both had the Keeney family raven engraved on them. He doubted that anyone would call them "Malfoy". His and Abigail's next child-which he hoped would be a few years in the future-would definitely be "Malfoy" rather than "Keeney."

"Things happen for a reason," he said to Arthur who had thankfully fallen asleep. Arthur was too much Abigail's child-up all night, too much energy, already getting himself into trouble with Hermione's half-Kneazle cat, Crookshanks. Eileen, however, was quiet and serious, but ready to smile for anyone. Personally, he was looking forward to the chaos as they learned to walk. He doubted his mum was, though. She and Mrs. Weasley had fun baby-proofing the nursery and already had plans for the rest of the house. Crookshanks leaped onto the window seat, his tail twitching as he studied Draco. "What're you looking at?" he asked.

The Kneazle seemed to give a Hermione-like expression as he leaned over to sniff Arthur. Arthur sneezed and Crookshanks jumped back. "Serves you right," he told the half-Kneazle, setting Arthur in his cot. "C'mon, furball, time for bed." Crookshanks puffed up his fur as though to ask, "Who are you calling a furball?"

(PAGEBREAK}

Lord Voldemort was just refining his plan for what to do about the Keeney girl. She was months away from turning seventeen, and there would be no one to protect her. He was sure of it.

"Hello, Tom," A voice said behind him. He jumped. The Malfoy family had abandoned their manor early that summer and his Death Eaters were still falling prey to the traps that had been set. It was nearly November. Their incompetence was grating on his already frayed nerves.

"You're dead," he said, flatly, turning his gaze back to the fire. At his feet, Nagini continued slithering around, hissing contentedly.

A snort. "I guess you could say that. Still obsessed with killing my nephew?" Knowing that he would not get peace until she decided otherwise, he rose, facing her.

Aster Jean Keeney looked just the same as the day he'd killed her. "That is no concern of yours," He replied. She rolled her eyes, smirking slightly. Insolent, little bitch, he thought.

"He is my family, of course he's my concern." Was it just him or had the temperature suddenly dropped as though there were more spirits in the room? "Really, Tom, one would think that you've come to terms that a one-year-old nearly killed you the first time and do things properly rather than upset the balance of power even more."

"I will be immortal, you arrogant harlot." he said, losing all patience with her.

"Since I was at school, you've been a running joke. 'Riddle me this,' we would say, 'What do you get when Slytherin's last family is reduced to living in a hovel rather in London?' "

He gripped his wand tightly. Spirit or no, he could still destroy her. " 'A Tom Riddle'."

Green light shot out from the end of his wand and went straight through her, leaving the cabinet behind her in shatters. She laughed. "Immortality is for heroes." she warned him in a sing-song voice. "Infamy for fools who don't head Death."

Another jet of green light and the chandelier threatened to fall.

"Beware, Tom. You've gone too far this time." Before he could fling another curse at her, she vanished.

**I think I can honestly say that this is the first summer that I've been hopped up on a combination of allergy meds and vitamins. All thanks to that mild New England winter we had (and no, Irene and that huge-ass storm that knocked out power and nearly jeopardized my updates does not count). That and I nearly landed myself in therapy for life this semester.**

**Well, I'm going to go burrow a hole in my parents' basement so I can avoid all allergens. **

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**

**Listening to: Edge of Glory-Glee**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, sorry. I completely forgot what day it was so I didn't update like I planned, but here it is now.**

Chapter Eight

_Marvolo? Isn't that some brand of laundry detergent? _

_-Aster Jean Keeney to Tom M. Riddle, July 1974_

Harry certainly had never paid much attention to the Marauder's Map much before today. Now, with Death Eaters most certainly running about the castle, and Abigail, and Neville fairly isolated without outside help, he was constantly checking for any abnormalities.

He and Ron had found the map going through Fred and George's room the summer before while the twins were occupied with Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. It had taken them only a few days to figure out how to work it before they surmised (with the others of course) that it could be useful should anything terrible happen at Hogwarts.

Well, something terrible was happening all right.

In the first few days of term, it had become fairly normal for Abigail to disappear off the map in the Room of Requirement at night. Neville and a small following of other students regularly joined her, often not emerging until just before the bell. Often Abigail would often meander around the corridors until late at night and Harry had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't she was having trouble sleeping. Blaise Zabini and Abigail's dots often paused inside various points inside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and he was pleased to note that various students were, shall we say, most likely improving conditions in the Chamber of Secrets, given that many made their way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom throughout the week.

The train ride to Wales was nerve-racking. Every time a person paused outside their compartment, they would tense and Ron was surprised none of them had cracked their wands with the repeated clenching movements that were now fairly routine.

In the dinning cabin, they eyed their fellow passengers with a degree of suspicion that Moody would be proud of, intentionally ignoring drinks that they'd lifted their eyes from and one nasty incident where Ron nearly growled at a woman who asked if they were traveling alone.

"I can't take this," Ron said, when they were back in their compartment, slipping into a seat. Seeing that things were going to explode if they stayed awake any longer, Hermione suggested that they start sleeping in shifts so one would be able to warn the others of impending danger. Ron was asleep almost immediately and Harry found his eyes drooping as he stared at the countryside.

"Try living with it for almost seven years," Harry said.

{PAGEBREAK}

They got into the run-down station just as evening fell. "What d'you reckon?" Ron asked. "Should we find somewhere to camp?"

"Might as well," Harry said. "There's a cave we can set the tent up in, give us some protection from the elements."

"If we set up in a clearing we'd have better chances of seeing someone coming." Hermione pointed out.

"Er..yeah, right." Harry muttered as they made their way off a worn path. He felt a tingling as though the forest was welcoming them. A bird cawed in the distance.

They reached a clearing. "All right. Harry and I will set up the tent. Hermione, you're best at Protection Charms…" Ron was eyeing each and every tree as though a Death Eater were about to jump out and start cursing them.

Setting up the tent put them even more on edge. Harry and Ron worked out where the stakes should go while Hermione walked sunwise around the area.

"So," Harry said, hammering in one of the stakes. "Did anyone ever tell you what Abigail's mum said to Voldemort when she met him?"

"No," Ron replied, watching the trees for any kind of movement. "What did she say?"

"Well, first she stated the obvious." Harry stood up. "Then she asked him, 'Marvolo, isn't that some brand of laundry detergent?'"

Ron's eyes widened. "She didn't." he gasped.

"She did," Harry said, handing Ron the mallet so he could fix the final stake. "Somehow things got nasty after that."

"Can't imagine why," Ron grunted. "Is it just me or does that whole family have no sense of self-preservation?"

"They must have some," Harry tugged the ropes to make sure they were secure. "otherwise Abigail wouldn't have landed in Slytherin."

The night passed relatively uneventful. The animals howled and the branches of trees rattled, sending them all on edge.

Ron slept fitfully, each dream turning into a nightmare where people vanished in a haze of green.

{PAGEBREAK}

12 January 1987

Mercy Hall, Avalon

Another cough that sounded more like a foghorn caught his attention as he checked in on the children. Going around to each child in turn, he saw it was Harry who had coughed. Sure enough, he was awake. "It hurts," he said, trying to sit up. With a gentle push, Severus had him back against the small pile of pillows.

"What hurts?" he asked. Harry pointed to his throat. Severus felt his forehead. All of them-Draco, Abigail, Harry, and Neville had gotten a nasty bout of flu after the long ceremonies to mark six years since Abigail's mother had died. Thinking about arrogant werewolves who were overly presumptuous, he poured a small amount of a Fever Reducer as well as giving Harry a glass of water.

Seeing the potion, Harry gave him a pouting look. Somehow, he knew that if Severus saw just the right amount of pout in his green eyes, he would give in. "Nice try," he told Harry. "Drink." Harry blew a raspberry, but drank without further complaint. "Feel better?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "Story?" he asked hopefully. Severus took a worn copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard._ "Babbity Rabbity?" he asked, knowing that Harry was likely to ask for his favorite. Harry nodded and settled against his pillows.

"_A long time ago, in a far-off land…"_

**Well, how do you like that?**

**Now: cleaning the turtle cage my brother said he would before he left to visit grandma. ****J**

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**


	9. Chapter 9

**Egh. Sorry about the confusion. The lack of things to do is making me go a bit crazy.**

Chapter Nine

_It's not Riddle I'm afraid of. It's that I may never see my friends again._

_-from the journal of Aster Jean Keeney-1 September 1976_

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

3 October 1997

Professor McGonagall, despite the fact that students' lives were being threatened every second of every day, was quite glad that she'd had only to deal with James Potter and the Marauders. Abigail Keeney was defiant, headstrong, and uncompromising. From what she had gathered about her mother and knew about Regulus Black, it was to be expected.

At the moment, Abigail Keeney and her co-conspirators were sitting in three chairs glaring at the Amycus Carrow. Well, Blaise Zabini looked like he'd encountered an unfortunate problem while on holiday, but that was beside the point. Neville Longbottom, however, looked more like his father in this moment, quiet and defiant.

The subjects of this dispute were laid out for the students to see behind Amycus on the desk. Professor Slughorn looked downright terrified at what might happen once he'd seen the titles of the books.

"Reading Muggle literature," Amycus began, "is an insult to-"

"It's an insult on your intelligence, I'm sure." Abigail interrupted. "Considering you probably don't understand half of what's going on in them." In an instant, Amycus had slapped her, the force causing her to fall out of her seat. Neville leapt out of his to see if she was all right, but she shook him off. "I'm fine," she said, resuming her seat. Professor McGonagall could see a bruise already forming on her cheek. "Really,"

Amycus looked as though he were trying to control himself. They sat several tense minutes before he snapped. "Get out. All of you." Not needing being told twice, Neville, Abigail, and Zabini scampered, presumably heading off to wherever they'd been hiding. The two professors left last, Slughorn turning back to glare at the Carrow before the door closed behind them.

Professor McGonagall caught up to the three as they were in a seventh floor corridor. "You two go on ahead," Abigail was saying. "I'm going to check something."

"Just don't get caught by any Slytherins." Neville warned as a pair of doors appeared in front of them. Abigail huffed and waited until the two had entered the Room of Requirement.

"Professor?" she asked, pulling out her wand. Professor McGonagall appeared from where she had been watching, Slughorn having hurried to the dungeons. "It's all right." Abigail said. "We're fine." At the moment, Professor McGonagall was inclined to disagree. Abigail had a small streak of blood dripping slowly from her nose and the bruise where Amycus had struck her was slowly turning a nasty purple.

Abigail quickly glanced up and down the corridor. "I don't have much time, but tell anyone who's not safe to come here. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, probably the Greengrass sisters from Slytherin." she said in a hurried whisper. "We're not going to disappear completely unless we have to, so don't be alarmed if we stop showing up to class. Neville or one of the others can try to get messages to the Order for you. There's a passage in the Room of Requirement we-" she broke off suddenly. Abigail glanced down the hall where a figure stood. "I've got to go." she said quickly, running off, leaving Professor McGonagall silent.

{PAGEBREAK}

Godric's Hollow

Harry wasn't quite sure how he felt being here. He'd been here before, when he was younger, when he'd asked Aunt Andy to show him, but now.

Now he felt uncertain. He could hear, as he always could, the events of what had happened. He could see the events taking place as though he were watching them through a badly tuned television.

Ron and Hermione hung back, clearly recognizing that he needed to be alone for the moment. Ron looked a bit green, as though his stomach was turning. Harry climbed the stairs, hearing his mum. A tear slid down his cheek unbidden.

He closed his eyes. They would rest easy, now. Now that Voldemort was about to get his due.

{PAGEBREAK}

31 October-1 November 1981

Godric's Hollow, Wales

James was relaxing, reading one of his old favorites: _Hogwarts, A History_. His wand was carefully placed on the tea table. Harry wouldn't get at it. For some reason, he'd been more fussy than usual so Lily, thinking he might be developing a cold, was trying to put him to sleep. James sighed, glancing at the clock. Aster would've been insisting that they get out. It was Sahmain, James, c'mon.

He-and Lily would let her convince them to get out, celebrate the harvest, see little Abigail, who, according to Andromeda, was growing rapidly. He grinned a little at the thought of eight-year-old Dora dressing her up like a doll. One of these days, he and Lily would take Harry…with Snape, he admitted grudgingly, to meet his cousin.

The lights started blinking. A cold feeling came over him. "Lily" he called.

"What?" she was clearly trying to convince Harry to close his eyes for more than a few seconds.

A resounding crash as the door was blown. "Lily, it's him! Take Harry and go-" Lily didn't needed to be told twice. James heard the sound of Harry's door slamming shut. He ran towards the sound of the noise .

"Hello, Tom," he said, knowing that this was how Aster had died.

Moments later, he knew no more.

Meanwhile, Lily cradled Harry against her chest. "Harry," she told him. "Remember, Mummy loves you. Daddy loves you." Harry knew nothing of what was going on around him. He knew that Mummy was crying and crying meant she was sad. "No sa' mummy," he lisped. "No sa'." Lily looked at him, knowing that this would be their last time together. Harry reached up and tugged her hair gently. She set him in his cot. "Mummy loves you," she said, ruffling his hair, "Mummy and Daddy will always love you." Unable to look at him any longer without completely losing her composure, she drew her wand and stood to face Voldemort.

When Aster had described facing him, Lily had known she was bluffing, had seen in her stance that it was all bravado.

Seconds later, she saw bright light.

**Again, mates. Thanks for your support. Now wish me luck as I join my brother in the land of crazy old people this weekend.**

**Mischief Managed, **

**Sparky**


	10. Chapter 10

**Listening to: Dumbledore's Army-Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office**

**Happy Friday! For once I'm actually updating on time. Whoo-hoo!**

Chapter Ten

_I think we'd rather die than admit we can live without each other._

_-Severus Snape in a letter to Narcissa Black 2 October 1976_

"So, d'you reckon You-Know-Who did it?" Ron asked. They'd gone up to a little cave after sneaking some food from the grocer's. For over a decade, Avis unable to get to Avalon had flocked here to pay tribute to Avalon's Last Lady. The raven statue that had guarded the cave as well as the village below had been blown to pieces by Voldemort the previous year.

"Definitely," Harry said. "I saw him…in a dream couple years ago. Why are you looking at me like that?" Hermione was giving Harry a hard look. "Harry, you're supposed to-" "be closing my mind," Harry finished. "I know."

"Well, he didn't obliterate it completely, did he?" Ron asked, pointing to the plaque where Aster Jean's motto still lay inscribed, as well as her dates of birth and death.

"It just makes it final, I guess." Hermione said. "Abigail would've taken the Oath of Office by now."

"She's not even seventeen." Ron said. "I thought that you couldn't do anything till then."

"Well, the Regency was only to get her to fifteen when, on Avalon, you're allowed a say in legal proceedings. Sixteen is the age of consent for just about anything. Seventeen, the only thing that changes is you can get your Apparitian License, really."

Harry remembered the rules and etiquette that had been drummed into their minds since they were little and how every year the students attending Hogwarts would apply for visas allowing them to wear the school's robes without legal repercussions back home. At eleven, girls graduated from pinafore dresses to skirts while boys surrendered their _bullae _so that the community would know that they were now capable of defending themselves with magic. At fifteen-or fourteen depending on if you'd skipped a year-you shed your blazer to wear formal wizard's robes, another marker of growing up.

Girls only ceased wearing their _bullae _when they married or in Abigail and Tonks's case-took their relationship to the next level. No one had really paid attention to Abigail when hers had mysteriously vanished shortly before the start of term last year due to the growing concern about Voldemort. Then she'd pawned it to finance her whirlwind journey to Avalon with Neville. Harry was positive that Ginny still wore hers, unless she'd decided to have a quick fling with whoever happened to come along while she was with her family, and Draco's, something he highly doubted.

Hermione's parents had predictably refused to let her wear a _bulla_, telling Uncle Ted that just because she was a witch, didn't mean that she had to be publicly marked as one.

As they trooped back to the campsite, Harry wondered just how many more memorials they'd have to order before Voledmort was gone.

{PAGEBREAK}

Headmaster's Office

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Up close, Abigail looked about ten times worse.

Amycus Carrow was currently giving a story on how she'd tried to smuggle bandages and other medical supplies from the infirmary.

From Abigail's expression, it was more likely she nicked them when Madame Pomfrey was otherwise occupied and was only upset that she'd gotten caught. The offending articles had been returned to Madame Pomfrey who'd spared one hateful look at the pair of them and slammed the door nearly on his nose.

Fixing his attention on Abigail, he started making a catalogue of her injuries. She had a purple bruise on her temple, her nose looked as though it had finally stopped bleeding, but there was a nice gash on her hand he suspected had been received earlier in a fistfight with Pansy Parkinson.

He also had to talk to her about her hair, which was currently in two braids, making her look more like a first or second year than a seventh. When Amycus had finished, she snapped out, "Demi-vrai, vous le fils de pute (Half-true, you son of a bitch)"

He internally sighed. This was going to be a long night.

{PAGEBREAK}

They made the trip to the Titanica on foot, this time, Apparating sporadically to places he and Hermione had stopped en route to Hogwarts two years ago.

For the moment, they had set up camp alongside a stream. "Sooner we get there, the sooner we can hold tight for winter." Harry said. "We're not going to get anything done till at least March. We might as well stay somewhere safe till then."

"With Mum and Ginny breathing down our throats, right," Ron said, pouring himself a cup of weak coffee. "They'd locks up and throw away the key."

"Draco's more likely to do that to Abigail," Harry said, finishing the questionable stew Hermione had prepared for dinner. He recognized some bits and pieces as herbs that were edible, questionable chunks of meat that might be rabbit or squirrel. He could easily pretend it was chicken and that this was another camping exercise. If you ignored the lack of information from anywhere but the wireless, the questionability of the exact date, the questionable state of his clothes, the lack of decent washing, and tensions that broke out every so often.

Ron had developed a nervous tic of tapping one finger (his right index finger) repeatedly as they sat at the table. Hermione fidgeted and the Hermione that Harry had grown up with, gone to school all those years with, never fidgeted. He supposed that his hair looked more like a bird's nest less from lack of brushing and more to the fact that doing this he felt like he was accomplishing something.

"Well we're not exactly going to the Titanica, per say, we're just going close enough that we'll get a room, heat, and food for a couple of months before stopping in for a visit." Hermione had given up on her dinner entirely and was absently flicking through a worn copy of _Hogwarts, A History_.

"Hopefully by then, it'll be winter holiday and we'll be able to find out what's going on at Hogwarts," Harry said. Dennis Creevey's dot had disappeared a week ago and he suspected that Dennis had been hauled to the Titanica by his parents and Colin was sure to follow.

{PAGEBREAK}12 November 1981

Courthouse

Avalon

Peter Pettigrew was hauled through the crowd by two men in navy blue robes. Upon his sentencing back in London, he'd been en route to Azkaban when he'd been abducted and tossed into a different room. For over a week now, he'd sat there, wondering what was going on.

It seemed he had his answer as he caught sight of the scaffold. A tall, muscular man wearing black was affixing a noose. He gulped. The people all around him were hissing insults and jeering.

As he climbed the steps, he froze. Narcissa Malfoy stood next to two men dressed in white from head to toe. Looking as though he'd rather be doing anything but, he recognized Ted Tonks as he whispered something in Narcissa's ear.

What was going on? Was Narcissa here to help him? One look from her and he knew this was not the case. He was alone. No one was going to help him.

He was forced into position facing the crowd as an elder gentleman stepped forward. "People of Avalon," he began and Peter nearly fell over in shock. _Avalon? _Was he going mad?

"We are here today, to carry out the judgement against Peter Pettigrew, who has been found guilty of the following crimes: aiding and abetting Tom Marvolo Riddle, lately known as Lord Voldemort," Peter flinched at the name. "Second degree murder of James and Lily Potter. The attempted murder of numerous members of the Avalon High Court and finally, sixteen individual counts of use of the Unforgiviable Curses." The man finished and the crowd started their insults again anew.

Peter tripped over his own feet as the men holding him in place forced him closer to the noose. "Sir, forgive me for what I must do," the man in black said. Peter nodded. What other choice did he have? The people below had wands and would most likely kill him if he tried to escape. Someone tied a blindfold around his eyes and he heard the men step away as the rope was placed around his neck.

The floor dropped beneath him and he heard James whisper, _We trusted you. _

At seven thirty-six AM, Peter Pettigrew was declared dead by the Avalon Royal Medical Examiner.

**Well, we finally find out what happened to Wormtail. Now, please excuse me while I mock my little brother. He had his first car accident the other day. He backed into a dumpster. My dad took it well, if you say grumbling "Can't you kids at least have the decency to hit something moving in an accident?" as taking it well?**

**The dumpster is fine, I have seen it personally. The SUV my brother was driving, however, well…the glass is replaceable. **

**Happy reviewing!**

**Mischief Managed, **

**Sparky**


	11. Chapter 11

**Happy Friday! Now, this chapter is of course, ready to roll!**

Chapter Eleven

_Riddle doesn't understand, destroy Avalon, and the fabric between our secrecy and Muggles' suspicion will come undone. Then, chaos will truly reign._

_-_Domina Avalonae_ Abigail Amaryllis Keeney Dec. 1977_

Snow was falling heavily when Harry poked his head outside the tent the next morning. "Doesn't look like we'll be getting far today," Ron said, pushing around the unidentifiable mush that was their breakfast.

Harry couldn't help but agree. "Do we even know what day it is?" he asked, trying to calculate it in his mind. It would be easier to go outside at night and at least make a good estimate from the position of the stars. They'd left on his birthday and September had long since past. He was fairly certain they'd skipped over Sahmain without even realizing it. But the snow was too thick for it to be anywhere close to November. At best guess it was either early December or days away from Midwinter.

Ron shrugged. Hermione didn't respond, focusing instead on her book. Spooning the last of his breakfast in his mouth, Harry ducked outside, grabbing his weather-beaten jacket as he went.

Outside, the storm looked even worse. His face froze in a matter of seconds and he couldn't see past the white sheet of snow in front of him to the trees. No, it'd be best that they stay in today and stay warm.

"I don't think we should move till that storm's gone." he said, quickly drying himself with a spell. "I can't even see the trees."

"So, what are we going to do for the day then?" Ron asked. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances.

{PAGEBREAK}

The closer that they got to the end of term, the more Draco worried about Abigail's lack of writing. Talking to Aberforth at the Hog's Head he learned that neither she nor Neville had been seen outside of Hogwarts since late October. In fact, fewer and fewer members of their defense group showed up with each Hogsmeade visit. The Creevey brothers, he knew, were now in hiding at the Titanica. Others had simply vanished.

Seeing a dark spot in the snow, he leapt out of his chair, careful not to disturb Arthur, Eileen and Teddy who were sleeping nearby. Holding his breath, he walked over to the window. He slipped down the back stairs and into the stable. The horses were asleep, thank Merlin, and he was careful not to disturb them. Vicky, Hermione's dappled gray pony, was prone to kicking holes in the wall when she was upset or frightened and Asphodel could wake anyone up more quickly than the fire alarm.

He heard one of the boards squeak and one of the horses snorted. "Who's there?" he asked.

"Who d'you think?" a voice asked behind him.

Draco turned.

"Abigail?"

{PAGEBREAK}

Harry had seen many people sloshed at one time or another. He'd also seen every kind of drunk there was. Draco was a brooding drunk. Neville was a happy drunk and Tonks was a cross between an angry drunk and weepy drunk at times. Hermione was often a talkative drunk who would tell anyone who cared to listen every single fact that there was about Shakespeare.

"Y'know, Harry," Ron slurred, hiccupping. "I think yer all right,"

So, with nothing else to do, with the weather holding them in one place, he figured that they might as well let some steam blow loose. Who knew? Tomorrow, they could wake up with Voldemort at the front door and all be dead by noon. Or Voldemort could be dead and they'd have another party.

"An' you," Ron pointed one finger at Hermione who was sitting at the table with a slightly dazed grin on her face. "What d'you thin' your doing teasin' me like tha'?" Ron took another swig from the bottle.

"Harry, mate. I don't care if you wanta screw my sister. I jus' wan'a…." he made some sort of grand gesture before falling forward out of his seat and doing a face plant on the floor, passing out.

"Think we should tell him we're sober?" Hermione asked, picking Ron up by the collar and dragging him to one of the bunks.

"Not if our lives depended on it," Harry replied, finally opening a bottle of fire whiskey for himself.

{PAGEBREAK}

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Draco said, still in slight shock.

"It was either run like hell or stay and be killed. We got out who we could. Everyone else refuses to leave." Abigail sat down on an upturned pail. "I got out because I had help."

"Who?" Draco asked, wondering if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Dad." she replied. "Took me out a passage only he and Mum used. It led straight to the Hog's Head. Abe was waiting for me."

"So, Professor Snape-"

"Is actually working for us and yes, it could get him killed. It didn't help that half the students think he's the one that offed me."

"I'm just glad you're all right." Draco saw that it was starting to get light out. "We should probably get some sleep."

"I will," she replied. "I just want to see the twins first."

**Well, I haven't been able to come up with good flashbacks lately, so perhaps my dear readers can assist? **

**C'mon, people, I check my stats, I know ya'll read.**

**Happy reviewing!**

**Sparky**


	12. Chapter 12

**Listening to: Dumbledore's Army-MOMAO**

**Well, once again, dear readers, it's Friday. As such, it's time for another update!**

Chapter 12

_Who are you? Someone who will take a stand and fight or someone who will quietly stand by like a coward?_

_- Amelia Keeney, 1932_

Turning over, Harry listened to the silence. Ron was at the table, yawning. Apparently he wasn't as much of a lightweight as he looked the night before. Hermione was still asleep, one arm clutching her wand under the pillow. Harry pulled his own from inside the pillowcase. Sleeping like that, one wrong turn and he'd unintentionally snap it if he hadn't specifically pushed that one up against the headboard.

He nodded to Ron who was trying to find something in his teacup and ducked outside. The snowstorm had stopped at some point during the night. Thanks to the protective charms around the campsite, they weren't buried in too deep. Harry could see something just beyond the enchantments. A package of some kind. Glancing back at the tent, he hesitated. Should he risk it?

Figuring the worst that would happen would be Death Eaters swooping in, he grabbed it before leaping back inside the charms. He opened the envelope sitting on top.

_Don't come home unless you'd like Ginny to strangle you._

_Happy Christmas._

_-Neville _

So Neville at least, was back from Hogwarts or on the run, Harry supposed. Whatever had happened, he'd dropped off some fresh supplies.

Harry dragged the crate back towards the tent. "What's that?" Ron asked, peeping out of the tent.

"Present from Neville," Harry said as Ron moved aside for Harry to pull the crate into the tent. He pried the lid off. His mouth watered at the sight of the fresh vegetables and fruit, still in perfect condition with a stasis charm. Ron lifted the lid off a jar and sniffed. "Something good?" Harry asked, finding a tin filled with biscuits. He grabbed two before putting it back in the crate and seeing what else they'd packed.

"Where'd that come from?" Hermione asked, still in her pajamas.

"Who cares?" Ron was still looking through the goodies. So far he had found cherry licorice, biscuits, fresh apples, carrots, Chocolate Frogs, a large bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and canned beets.

"Neville sent it." Harry said. "How he found us I don't know, though."

{PAGEBREAK}

Abigail was tired, cold, and hungry by the time the familiar building came into sight. Riding for three days and stopping only a couple hours at a time was getting to her, but she pressed on, even as the sun started to set. She had to get home. It had been hard enough leaving her babies, now that she was so close, she'd be damned if anyone got in her way.

She stopped just short of the gates as a pair of wizards came out of the tent set up just in front. "Identification?" They asked. Abigail sighed and pulled out her student visa.

"Miss Keeney?" one of them asked, studying the picture. Abigail sighed and took off her riding helmet so he could better see her face. "That's me." she said wearily. "If you don't mind, I'd like to see my children before I'm another year older."

The other glanced at a list of security questions until he found hers. "Er," he was still speechless at addressing her in this way. "Quel âge aviez-vous quand vous avez commencé l'équitation? (How old were you when you started horseback riding?)"

"J'avais trois ans. (I was three)" she replied easily. "Maintenant s'il vous plaît, laissez-moi voir mes enfants. (Now please, let me see my children)" The guard nodded and opened the gate.

No one was in the stable yard to greet her. Term ended just that day and they were counting on her being on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow. Neville had gone to see his gran who was supervising a field hospital in Surrey. They'd meet up later at New Year's and evaluate their plans for destroying Voldemort.

She dismounted and clipped the bridle to tethers on either side of the stalls. Firedrake swished his tail in an agitated manner. She rolled her eyes. "It's not my fault you're stuck here," she said, reaching into a pail to hand him a treat. "Ask Draco to take you out tomorrow if you're that upset."

She grabbed the pick and ran her hand along Yankee's leg and he lifted it, allowing her to clear the mud of the road from his hooves. She finished cleaning him and led him to his stall. "I'll be by tomorrow, now get some sleep." Yankee snorted before making for a corner padded with blankets. Mild warming charms kept the stable at a relatively moderate temperature, so Abigail made her way quickly through the yard and into the house.

{PAGEBREAK}

Draco rolled over, hearing one of the twins on his baby monitor. He groaned into his pillow before rousing himself. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Since the twins hard started teething, he'd been able to go every few hours with them sleeping or alternately trying to bite everything from his fingers to the teething rings to their dinner plates. Eileen was definitely more likely to bite something if it wasn't animate, so he'd had to keep all shoes, socks, pens, and books out of her reach. Arthur, however, would try to swallow his teddy whole.

Opening the door to the twins' room, he found something else than fussy infants.

"Abigail?" he asked, seeing her, holding their son in the rocking chair near the window. Arthur was quiet, sleepily trying to focus his eyes.

She jumped up. "Draco? What the hell?"

"The baby monitor," he explained. "How's school?"

"Hell," she replied, sitting back down. One of Arthur's hands grabbed her thumb. "Neville and I spent the better part of term trying not to get ourselves killed."

"Especially seeing that you're not supposed to be back till tomorrow. How'd you get here?"

She gave a wry smile. "Turns out old Abe was keeping Yankee for me. I come out one night to push some essays under the door, and next thing I know Dad's grabbing me from behind and shoving me out the front door."

"Why'd he do that?" Draco asked.

"It's kind of a long story,"

**Well, Abigail's back with her kids. C'mon people, I'd like to hear your input of what you'd like to see!**

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**

**Listening to: Track Three-Titanic Soundtrack**


	13. Chapter 13

**Well, we get into a bit of Keeney Family History today. Good morning all. It's so early (okay, seven-thirty) so I have yet to plug into my morning lineup. **

**Now, I go back to school August 29 so I'll try to keep steady updates coming even if it's cutting it close. Thanks to my bungling up my school schedule, Fridays, I'm completely swamped and if I try to un-bungle, I'll only leave myself with more days unable to work. Sooo...help me out and review, yes?**

Chapter 13

_Only in the simplest things is there true happiness._

_-Turner Keeney, circa 1920_

Draco felt that some occasions called for something to steady his nerves. Sadly, his mother and Mrs. Weasley (and Aunt Andy now that he thought about it) felt differently. As such, all alcoholic beverages ranging from wine to whiskey to the bottle of rum she'd found in a hidden cupboard behind an old portrait had been either dumped down the drain, tossed on a particularly hard rock or, he suspected, pilfered by Hermione for "medicinal purposes".

"So Snape drags you out of class, to his office and all but shoves you into the Floo?" Draco asked, wishing he was drinking something stronger than tea.

Abigail nodded. "When you put it like that, it sounds as though he had an ulterior motive."

"Compared to what could have happened, yeah, that's it." he said, "D'you know where Harry is then?"

Abigail raised an eyebrow. "I haven't exactly been keeping in touch with him. Hedwig disappeared the night we moved him so unless Ron or Hermione have an owl in their bag, they've got no way of getting information."

"Ginny's not going to see it that way." he said, "Your mum was able to spend days at a time in a house infested with Death Eaters and still send reports each night."

"My mum was raised to be able to spend weeks right under Riddle's nose and he wouldn't get a whiff unless she wanted him to. We on the other hand, were raised with the assumption any further doing away with him would take days, not months." She glanced at the baby monitor they'd brought down to the kitchen with them. "I think they're probably going to stop by though. It's winter. They won't get much done till at least March."

"By which time, you'll be seventeen," Draco reminded her. Abigail made a face. "Then the fun will really begin." she said. "Y'know despite everything, Riddle's really keeping a code of honor about this whole thing."

{PAGEBREAK}

Voldemort was simply counting down the days until the greatest thorn in his side could be done away with. In this, he knew, it was a matter of honor, as it had been with her mother.

Oh, in war, people were murdered left and right and a few under seventeen were caught in the crossfire. Those, of course, he could truly count as lapses in judgment. If a person went about killing every person who annoyed them regardless of age, he was a madman. If you played to the code of honor that was still somewhat upheld, you waited until those persons turned seventeen until you technically could kill them. If you killed them, even a second before, it was almost guaranteed that your followers would be abashed and quickly change sides.

He had only weeks, days, left until the end of the line that had turned him away so cruelly. Oh, her children held her name, but everyone knew they weren't Avi-born, as much as she'd like to forget that fact.

Soon, they would be no more.

{PAGEBREAK}

The White Star Inn had been standing for the past ninety-eight years, ever since Abigail's great aunt Amelia Anderson (nee Keeney) had built the townhouse so she could stay near her father during the full moon in safety. During the first war, the inn had become a field hospital with special wards for werewolf-bite victims, with film showings every Friday and semi-formal receptions on Saturdays, all engineered to keep up morale. The family that currently operated the hotel, operated in a very Muggle-friendly fashion, catering to the needs of the traveling salesman headed to London to the typical Muggle family for a holiday in the woods (or as close to camping as the Doctors Granger were comfortable with).

In short, it was listed in several tour books as a place to enjoy a quiet time in a small village. For Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the inn would suffice as they prepared to reexamine their strategy, so it was a snowy evening when they shuffled into the lobby, keeping an eye out for anyone who might have been tipped off.

"Wow," Ron breathed, looking at the chandelier that was a smaller scaled replica of the one in the main foyer of the Titanica. The blue velvet couches and delicate crystal lamps had been sold to the inn at a knock-down price by Aster Jean Keeney, much to the Avalon Court's upset. Abigail's mum had kept the court simple: plain chaises, second-hand poufs, and tables that were really old school trunks ]covered with a cloth made the majority of the furniture in the public rooms at Mercy Hall. The four poster beds with their velvet trappings and elegantly carved testers however, were new, Harry found as they stood awkwardly one of the rooms.

"So we know what day it is," Ron said, still trying to act casual. "What do we do next?"

{PAGEBREAK}

30 November 1980

Avalon

Aster stood, overlooking the Lake. Inis Writrin stood proudly against the setting sun and she could hear the bells of the monastery ring for evening mass. It was difficult, knowing that there was nothing she could do and that they'd only pull her away from the fight. Letters between Avalon and Britannia were getting infrequent and left large gaps of what was going on that it made her worry. She tried to help, but her efforts were brushed off and she was growing restless. In two moons, she'd be holding her child in her arms and then no one would want her in the field because she might die and leave Avalon in chaos while they waited for her child to grow.

As if sensing the dark turn of her thoughts, the baby moved, as if the movement would bring it closer to its mother. "I won't leave you." she promised the child, wishing that Regulus hadn't gone and pulled something stupid and gotten himself killed. "I don't think your dad will let me."

It had been an unspoken agreement that as soon as they were able to pull it off, Severus would take the child and, at the British Ministry, petition for custody, as most of Avalon assumed he was the father, none except a few being told otherwise. She would make some excuse or other and step down and let Minister Johnson take control while the Provisional Council made plans for elections. She would have to live in exile then, unable to return without ridicule or retribution.

There was one person standing in her way, though.

Tom Marvolo Riddle had been keeping her from her dreams ever since she was born, angered by her mother rejecting him. She saw what her mother saw-a person who was everything some desired: charismatic, powerful with a wand, a pleasant person to have a conversation with, but at the same time tainted by his inability to feel empathy, power-hungry who would stop at nothing until he was dictator of them all. For all his positive qualities, neither Keeney woman had the inclination to bring a torch of destruction to their isle, for surely, once he had charmed his way through the Court, he'd seize power and the world would feel his wrath.

His inability to find Avalon was proof enough that he would destroy it. Avalon only revealed itself to those who used their magic to protect and serve. Not destroy and subjegate.

For her, that was proof enough he would get more than he deserved for cheating Death.

**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Reviews?**

**Let me know! **

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**


	14. Chapter 14

**Two weeks to school, all you college Yanks and fellow readers. Two weeks till classes resume!**

Chapter 14

_Death is not the end. It's just a new beginning._

_-Arthur Abraxas Keeney, Dec. 1954_

Each day that he woke up, Harry felt as though time were moving a bit too fast. Just after New Year's he, Ron, and Hermione had set out again, figuring that if Voldemort were to come after Abigail, it would be best not to give him what he wanted twofold. Worried, he ate less and less, trying to come up with a solution that didn't end with Voldemort winning.

Near midnight on January the fourth, he, Ron, and Hermione were sitting at the table in their tent, watching as the clock ticked closer, counting down the last seconds of any immunity Abigail had against the Death Eaters, whether it be real or imagined. Ron looked paler than usual while Hermione had remained focused on the same spot in her book for the past fifteen minutes.

The clock struck twelve, jerking them all out of their reverie. Hermione lit the candle in the center of the table.

Harry jumped up, heading outside. One down, one to go. In August, Ginny would be seventeen and that would save none of them from the Death Eater's wrath.

A quick three-note whistle sounded from somewhere to his right. He jumped, grabbing his wand out of reflex. "Who's there?" he called. A slower, four-note whistle responded. Recognizing the whistle, he repeated the last four notes. The first, three repeated themselves.

"Where are you?" he called, edging further away, still suspecting a trap. "Où penses-tu?

(Where do you think?)" a familiar tone replied.

"Ce mieux ne pas être un truc.(This better not be a trick)" he said, hearing the sound of horses as he came closer. "Abigail," he said. "I see you haven't wasted any time."

"Je vois tu as. (See you have)." she replied, "Comment alles-tu? (How are you?)"

"Fine," he said, putting his wand back in his pocket. "You?"

"Well, that would be telling." she replied. "Ginny says thanks for the heads up by the way." Harry raised an eyebrow and Abigail slid off Yankee in a graceful move. "Fine. Everyone's pissed at you lot for up and leaving. There's not much I can do. I'm stuck."

"That didn't stop your mum," he replied. "Why should it stop you?"

"We both know that the curse Mum unleashed went to hell when you destroyed Voldemort the first time. Now, it's sixteen years later and Draco and I have been together for the past three. No matter how you play it, I'm not going to make it much past Beltane. I've accepted that. The least you can do is let me at least see the twins to their first birthday. After that, full steam ahead."

"Does Draco know?" Harry asked. Abigail snorted. "Course he doesn't. He still thinks it's a load of shit. I'm not asking you to keep this up for another year. I just need a couple more months."

Harry sighed. "I'll see what I can do. The earliest we'll be on the move again is Candlemas. Try to stall on your end till then."

"I will." Abigail said. "D'you want to take Yankee? I know there's three of you, but you'd be able to carry more supplies that way." Harry shook his head. "No. Let him have an easy time till we really need him." He pulled her into a hug. "Stay safe," he whispered.

"You too," she replied, as they broke apart. "I'll try to send information if I can."

Abigail swung herself up onto Yankee, using a nearby rock as a mounting block. She waved as she pushed Yankee into a trot.

"_Merde_" she called as she disappeared.

"_Merde_" Harry replied, wishing her luck as well.

{PAGEBREAK}

Abigail was fairly certain that Harry would assume that she was going back wherever she had been previously. She was, but she felt perfectly justified in taking her time.

Fresh air was a luxury that they couldn't afford if they wanted to stay safe, at least, for the moment. And, even if Draco didn't know it yet, this would be her last winter. She wanted to remember it as it was, not some fluffed up version that the historians would write. So she didn't panic when she saw the sun begin to set even though she was less than a mile away from the Titanica. Instead, she felt perfectly justified in arriving well after dinner, not wanting to surrender her freedom till spring.

Draco didn't say anything when she came to bed well after ten, having spent time in the stables, dragging out the routine of brushing down the horses and making sure that they had their stable blankets even though the warming charms kept the stable warm, then taking the time to polish her saddle, carefully making sure that she left no residue with the polish-it irritated Yankee's skin, something she usually only did half-heartedly. She just didn't want to admit defeat, that for now she was in retreat until she heard from Harry.

Trying to avoid thinking about the whole situation, she watched the twins sleep. Eileen was going to need her own room simply because it would allow Arthur to sleep without her snores waking him up. Sometimes she even woke herself up. She glanced at the opposite wall. The Keeney family tree mocked her. Generations of names crisscrossed and revealed only half of the puzzle: previous generations seldom kept record of the parent that wasn't a Keeney and cut out many of the Britions that they'd had children with. That made the web of family connections only more complicated. If you added each and every so-called Pureblood family tree into this one, names would overlap, and some would wind up even more closely related than if you simply took out the Keeney family.

It was a network of alliances and other evils that her mother had tried so desperately to avoid. Some ministers, like Fudge, had ignored Avalon and the Keeneys altogether and hoped they would go away. When Barty Crouch was in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he understood that her grandmother's methods were unconventional: sending in underage kids to fight, inserting spies into Voldemort's ranks that didn't report to anyone but her, undermining his efforts at a semblance of Ministry control at every turn.

Crouch, however, had underestimated her mother. When Crouch had Aster, her dad, James Potter, and Lily Evans in on breaking the Reasonable Restriction for Underage Sorcery, he knew that if he touched any of the Avis in the group, he was risking a two-front war. So he had gone for the weakest target-Lily Evans and threatened her with expulsion from Hogwarts. Even then, he'd underestimated the three of them. Potter had applied for an Avalon passport on her aunt's behalf, her dad had gone immediately to Aunty Andy to advise them in the legal aspects of the confrontation, and her mum had made call after call to Minister Johnson to push the paperwork through to make Lily Evans (officially) an Avalon citizen.

The paperwork had gone through just in the nick of time and Crouch had no choice but to agree to the decision the Avalon Civil Courts had made: Lily Evans was an Avalon citizen with a student passport for Hogwarts while in the summer official custody was granted to her parents until she turned seventeen, at which time she would be required to be formally sworn in as a citizen of Avalon.

Crouch resigned shortly after her mother had died, citing personal reasons, but everyone knew that he'd had enough. Enough of Aster barging in when he was trying to negotiate with Moody about proper interrogation techniques. Enough of Aster taking over his office without permission.

And enough of Aster being the only thing keeping the stress keeping him from keeling over. When she was gone, what had been the point when even Moody was calling him loony? He'd since transferred to the Department of International Cooperation which made him a semi-regular visitor to the Titanica, mostly to update the roster of Muggleborn students, but mostly (she suspected) to reinforce the reality of her mother's death.

Abigail tacked off another day and sat up, waiting for something to happen.

**Of course, I'll continue to update. I will let you know if I can't for whatever reason. And I apologize in advance if I can't, miss an update or RL takes over.**

**Well, happy reading and enjoy the remainder of summer. **

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**


	15. Chapter 15

**And my boss decides to screw up my life just as school starts. The only place I legally feel I can stand up for myself is in my own family simply because they consider me too crazy to be kept up to date with what's going on.**

**Ah, well, at least I still got my fellow readers, right? **

Chapter 15

_Twenty or so years from now, it won't matter what information we have, but what we did with it._

_-_Domina Avalonae_ Abigail Amaryllis Keeney, January 1969_

The seventh of the month was still dark and cold when he woke.

On a normal basis, Severus Snape didn't hold much for sentimentality, but he couldn't help but feel as though he could use the comfort today.

As he made his way through the forest, he couldn't help but wonder how seventeen years had passed so quickly. Seventeen years ago today he woke up to find his whole world turned upside down.

Where was he now? Well, he was certain that a good majority of the people he'd normally rely on saw him as a traitor. His daughter in all but blood had recently passed the undrawn line into Riddle really upping the ante on killing her. Lily's son was on the run with a bookworm and…he really hadn't determined what Ron Weasley was yet. Dunderheaded, yes. Cunning, no. A complete Gryffindor? Well, that would have to do until they made their next move. Aster was dead. James Potter was dead. Lily was dead. Regulus…wouldn't have died if he'd told someone, but he hadn't, drowning in guilt over sleeping with his best mate's wife (he'd long ago forgiven Aster for that, it wasn't her fault that she was barely holding onto sanity, trying to run a two-front war, keep her family alive, and single-handedly keep Avalon Academy up and running).

In all this, everyone had lost a bit of their sanity. Ted Tonks had quit working for the Avalon Department of Defense shortly before Riddle was banished for the first time, after missing out on important milestones with his daughter, instead working for a Muggle news station which gave odd hours but allowed him all the free time he liked. Andromeda had gone from a permanent position in the same department to simply being a liaison between Avalon and Britannia. Thomas Campion was a closet drunk, all the deaths at the end of the first war nearly destroying him.

He paused in a clearing. He hadn't realized how far he'd walked. He hadn't been here since…

Since that Sahmain.

{PAGEBREAK}

Overnight, a new layer of snow had fallen.

At breakfast, conversation was stilted. Even Ron was simply poking at his food, as if unsure it was still there. Hermione was flicking through _The Tales of Beedle the Bard _without reading much.

Harry was still trying to come up with an idea of buying more time. Time they didn't have. Or did, if you counted that they were sitting ducks until the snow gave way.

Too bad they couldn't bring any horses with them. The horses not only would leave them with more supplies to carry, but they'd have to move slower.

Harry choked down his breakfast. He knew what had happened today, seventeen years ago. Seventeen years ago, Avalon woke up to find the world seemingly coming to an end.

It wasn't much different from now, he thought, feeling his toast stick in his throat. Only difference was that the people had changed. The game was still the same. Some of the players were still the same. Others were new, though not that much of a novice.

But that garnered one question in Harry's mind.

How much longer until the game was won?

{PAGEBREAK}

Time was a funny thing, she thought, watching the twins and Teddy balance themselves precariously, gripping the edge of furniture. Normally, time seemed to pass so slowly. Now, it seemed she was barely dressing her children for the day before it was time for dinner.

{PAGEBREAK}

28 November 1980

Mercy Hall, Avalon

She folded up the latest letter and glanced at the clock. It kept ticking steadily. Figuring she was harming one more than herself, she thought about dinner. She stood, wondering what they were serving at the moment. Usually their meals rarely held everyone's expectations, but they ate well, better than those in the field who were forced to rely on infrequent supplies.

_Which would be better if Crouch would help out, _she thought, wondering what had possessed her to send her journal to Regulus in the first place. She'd tried to start writing again, but every time, she was reminded of the empty pages that remained.

Aster closed the door behind her. Just what she needed was for seven-year-old Dora to get a hold of her papers. Speaking of Dora…an "Ompf." of surprise greeted her as she rounded a corner. No matter how well she knew the place, Dora always managed to become more acquainted with the bookshelf as she took corners at a run.

The coif Dora had been wearing was pushed back revealing her pink hair. "Your mother won't like that," she said, seeing that the laces were already coming undone. Dora stood. "That stupid bookshelf keeps getting in my way." she protested.

"It wouldn't be in your way if you took your time." Aster reminded her, placing the coif on top of Dora's hair and tying it properly. Dora promptly pushed it back.

"You're just like me when I was your age." she remarked, seeing Dora's stockings peeking out from beneath her hem. "I never much liked my shoes either."

"They pinch my toes and I can't keep up with Charlie." Dora reasoned, "and I can't climb trees in this dress."

"Wear your physical education clothes underneath." Aster told her as they reached the staircase. "That should take care of any problems. D'you want to slide down?"

"Yes!" Dora cheered as Aster lifted her up.

Aster smiled as Dora slid down the railing. Sometimes, it was worth it to see the little things.

**Eh, the flashback was a bit awkward to write. I've never much considered exactly what kind of relationship Tonks had with Aster and as such never really got around to hashing that out. And that's what I tried to do here. Good? Bad? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**


	16. Chapter 16

**Well, I think I'm going to tweak things a bit. When I have time of course, things will change. For better or worse? Let me know!**

Chapter 16

_Everything that we have can vanish in an instant. Only yesterday, I looked at my daughter and wondered when I'd blinked and missed her growing up._

_-from a letter to Bartemious Crouch Sr. from Abigail Amaryllis Keeney_

19 January 1998

Ministry of Magic

London, England

Percy Weasley was continually questioning why he still bothered to show up for work if all that was going to happen was anarchy. Of course, Mr. Crouch was in cahoots with Ameila Bones to keep Riddle from actively trying to kill Avi-supported Hogwarts students, and he was their middle man, plain and simple.

So, as work piled up in other departments, and workers vanished left and right and Umbridge wrecked havoc by getting drunk on her own power down in the Department of Mysteries, Percy's inbox remained the same. He came in, pretended he was doing something useful in the Department of Foreign affairs, and tried to keep an eye on who was still coming in and who wasn't.

So, this trip to the Magical Records Office was just another part of his daily routine into keeping tabs on certain people. He'd checked around and found nothing unusual-no mysterious deaths, nothing that would suggest foul play for the moment and was about to head back to his office when he found someone going through old birth records.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, knowing he'd never seen this person before. He came closer and was about to call her out on it when she stomped on his foot. "Shut up before you get us both killed," Abigail hissed, slamming the drawer shut and shoving something into her pocket.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Percy repeated. "I thought you were-" "I am, but I needed to come here to get something." Abigail began walking quickly out of the maze of filing cabinets.

"What is that?" He hoped that no one would report anything suspicious, although most slid right over them so he suspected she was using a Notice-Me-Not Charm. "Birth certificate." she said, as they entered the elevator. A feeling of dread he'd learned to associate with Fudge's former Undersecretary entered the elevator in a nauseating vision of pink. Fortunately she got off at the next stop and he breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator carried them down to the Atrium.

"Why would you need to come here to get a birth certificate? You were born on Avalon,"

"Officially," Abigail replied, making her way towards the Floo. "Not _un_officially. Besides, it's not like you're going to tell your mum about this, right?"

"Why not?" he asked, not afraid of what she was going to say "You tell her, and I'll let her know about what happened summer before last." she replied and Percy felt his ears go red. "Just before school started? I bet she'd be happy as a squirrel to hear about that."

"You wouldn't." he said, taking a step towards her. "Try me," she said airily. "See you later." she grabbed a pinch of Floo powder and stepped into the flames he didn't hear her destination as she vanished.

{PAGEBREAK}

Ron, Harry, and Hermione were getting frustrated due to the weather. If he hadn't known better, Harry would've sworn that Abigail was purposefully manipulating the weather. "Third snowstorm this week," Hermione reported, poking her head out of the tent one morning. Ron groaned, letting his head fall back against one of the wood support posts. "It'll be April before anything clears up at this rate," he moaned.

Harry didn't reply, but kept up the rhythm of the tennis ball he'd found bouncing against the opposite wall. The only thing keeping them from really accomplishing anything was the snow and the Death Eaters' winter hibernation. He didn't want to upset that balance, although he was fairly certain that sooner or later Abigail would unintentionally do so.

The ball suddenly went off course and zoomed into Hermione's hand. "I'm trying to concentrate," she snapped, throwing the ball so it hit him in the head. Harry rolled his eyes and instead started listing each and every Quidditch player in his mind.

"What d'you think's going on?" Ron asked, as he turned on the radio to make some noise and fill the silence. Harry sat up, "Dunno."

The radio clicked and hissed before dying out completely. Ron gave it a good kick and it jumped back to life. _"Today the Ministry of Magic announced-" _Ron cut the channel with the dial.

A faint rhythmic beeping came through. Ron shook the set, hoping the signal would come in better. The beeping continued. "What's wrong with this thing?" Ron was about to switch it off when Hermione caught his wrist. "It's Morse Code," she said, grabbing a notebook and pen from one of the crates.

"Morse Code?"

"Muggles used it to communicate with the telegraph before radios." Harry explained. Hermione was writing furiously.

When Ron recognized the beeps, he looked to Hermione. "What's the message?" he asked.

"It's for us." she replied. "To Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Things bad at school. Worse elsewhere. Will be in town in two days. Meet there if you can. Neville."

"D'you think we should go?" Ron asked. "If it's a trap-" "It won't be," Harry said. "It's why Abigail's mum set up this channel in the first place. Carrying a portable radio like this one was common. No one thought twice about it. The Death Eaters don't use Muggle technology, so it was a secure way to transmit information. It gave us the advantage the last time. Maybe it will again."

{PAGEBREAK}

13 October 1976

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Gryffindor Common Room

2:29 AM

James Potter threw himself in an armchair. The fire had long since died out, but he was only just getting in. If any of his friends asked, he'd probably tell them he'd been in the kitchens or doing something relatively stupid and possibly going to get him detention.

In all reality, he doubted they'd buy that excuse. Even Sirius had noticed he didn't sleep through the night and he slept like the dead. Well, the living dead, but the point was still there.

He was fairly certain that he'd have to shower before he went to bed, another half an hour to make sure he got all the blood and dirt off himself. He was going to have to explain another bruise, and few more cuts on the back of his hand and a nasty gash covered in some paste on his face. He didn't even want to think about what Aster had had to do to his leg so he'd be able to hobble back to Gryffindor Tower. He'd been pretty out of it, only coming to when she'd slapped him awake.

Maybe he'd go to Madame Pomfrey in the morning. Tell her that he'd taken a fall from his broomstick.

Or maybe he could have Snape give him some excuse. Any reason that he wouldn't have to climb stairs tomorrow, really.

He was debating the merits of taking a shower in the same room as a werewolf who woke up simply because he'd sniffed out the chocolate he'd stashed in his trunk when he heard a voice.

"Thought you'd be in bed by now."

He didn't bother turning around. "Hi," he said, miserably wishing that this were under better circumstances.

Lily sat down in the armchair next to his. "How bad was it?" He gave her a look that pleaded with her not to ask. "That bad?"

"Pretty much. Aster was a bit worse." he admitted that much. Aster had blood coming out of her head when he left and was probably forcibly being put under as they spoke. She'd been rambling on in a string of French and English that he couldn't keep up with. He supposed it was her way of keeping herself awake until a proper Healer could get on the scene.

A letter fluttered out of the fireplace. Out of reflex, he caught it, tiredly wondering why Aster would be contacting him so soon. "What the hell?" he muttered, not bothering to open it. "We just saw each other."

"I could read it," Lily said, then pointedly added, "while you get rid of any reason for Remus to suspect your extracurricular activities." He snorted, but handed over the letter.

Lily broke the wax seal, and skimmed the contents. "Well, it's not from Aster," she said, folding it. "It's from Crouch."

James groaned, letting his head fall back against the chair. "Can't he leave us alone for one night?" he asked, wondering if someone had it out for him other than the obvious.

"It's mostly saying that he expects your report at its usual time and if he finds your sister was involved he's going to see she's deported."

"I'd like to see him try," James said dryly. "He's been trying that since we were thirteen."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Not now," he said. He heaved him out of his chair. "We've got class tomorrow." he muttered. "See you at breakfast?"

"Don't expect me to back you up." she warned, motioning to his leg. She stood as well, handing him his letter. "See you, Potter."

"You know you love me, Evans," he said teasingly.

**Sorry, I've been wanting to put those two together for a while and thought it would give nice insight to the whole James-is-a-secret-operative thing. Well, happy Friday!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, I survived the first week of school with minimal brain frying. And I finished a chapter. Read and worship JKR's creation (and my madness).**

Chapter 17

_There's a reason we act the way we do. We're simply trying to raise as much hell as possible before accepting the inevitable-if we ever do._

_-from the journal of Aster Jean Keeney 30 March 1975_

"I don't get it," Sirius announced to the dinning table at large one evening. Remus shrugged and Tonks snorted into her soup. Teddy merely giggled and sent another spoonful of mashed carrots at his cousin. Eileen retaliated by flinging applesauce while Arthur looked on.

"No one really gets it, we just do it." Draco said, "it's tradition."

"So, breaking and entering, theft, and sometimes arson is considered tradition." Tonks and Draco looked at the two Marauders as though they were missing the point. "Yes," they said in unison. "But there are some rules," Draco went on, starting on his pudding. "For example, any and all chemicals are forbidden-"

"Unless you don't use them until you're leaving and get them from inside." Tonks finished. "Oh, and you can't wear a disguise-" "-that really ruins the whole point of it, anyway," Abigail finished, sliding in and downing a cup of tea in one go. "What are we talking about?"

"They're going to try to break into the Scotland Yard office," Draco replied. Abigail snorted. "Riighht. And pigs will fly without a Hover Charm," She grabbed a roll from the center of the table and tore off a piece. "So when are you doing it?"

"No one ever said anything about breaking into Scotland Yard," Remus attempted to be the voice of reason, "especially not-" "You're just interested to see what they had on you," Abigail said, looking too calm about the whole thing. She shrugged at the looks. "Trust me when I say that Crouch wasn't the only moron who thought he could get Mum to view the law as something more than guidelines."

"Who else tried?" Remus asked, more out of reflex than really wanting to know. Tonks gave him a look, "They were all pensioned off and moved to Australia." she told him. Sirius gave her a look. "Well, I think there's one or two who moved to Canada on some sort of diplomatic thing."

Sirius was willing to do it just to see what James had done, but this made it even more enticing.

"Let's go then," he said, abandoning his dinner in a very out-of-character moment.

{PAGEBREAK}

Lucius Malfoy could deal with the whole Riddle-is-trying-to-kill-me-now thing that had become a part of his life since…well since the fates had decided to make his life a headache. And finding old, dust-covered rooms had become something of a regular occurrence and normal, according to Ted Tonks. So when he stumbled into a dust covered old-fashioned sitting room with things straight out of _A Study in Scarlet_ he kind of went with it. And he did the only thing that was possible when one comes face to face with a skull. He blinked.

"Interesting, isn't it?" He _did not_ jump as he turned around. A young man a few years older than Draco was leaning up against one of the walls. "Mum nearly blew a gasket when I brought Skully home."

"Skully?" he really hoped he wasn't losing his sanity due to the lack of interesting things to do.

"The skull," the man replied, taking off his tricorn hat and hanging it on a jackknife sticking out of the mantle. "But it was my place to do what I wanted. Aster liked rolling it around. It was more shock of seeing it on the floor when she came in, I think."

His hair was streaked with blonde in tufts that looked too interwoven to be artificially colored. He shrugged. "I was a fan of Sherlock Holmes. Brice and I went to parties as Sherlock and Irene Adler. Or Dr. Watson and Mary, depending on what mood we were in that Sahmain."

Lucius wasn't sure how to respond to this tidbit of information. "So, now it's my nieces turn to face the family curse. And you're not going to do anything about it." the tone was matter-of-fact, as though merely commenting on the weather.

"Why should I?" he asked. "She's-" "your grandkids' mother, your son's fiancée, and my niece. Those are plenty of reasons right there. Though you're a bit preoccupied, aren't you?" Somehow the tone was mocking. "Trying to save your marriage because you now know what was going on. And of course, in the end, you only care about getting yourself out, right? A real Slytherin."

Lucius didn't know how to respond so the man continued. "Well, think about this. My sister died and the curse simply passed to the next generation. A curse cast cannot be undone, so you have a choice. You can either try to save all your family, or you can take the view that Riddle does: be in it only for yourself. It's your choice."

The man turned and vanished, leaving Lucius alone.

{PAGEBREAK}

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were cold, tired and hungry by the time they reached the village Neville had mentioned in his message. Fortunately, they saw Neville heading towards a warm, inviting pub.

"You look like hell," Neville said rather bluntly. Harry's mind jerked out of visions of a bed that wasn't a camp cot at that statement. "You don't look much better," Ron commented, digging into the warm shepherd's pie. It was true. Neville had bags under his eyes and looked like he'd be an easy target for the Death Eaters.

Neville shrugged, "Things are worse this term," he said, trying to appear casual as he looked for anyone who could do them harm. "Abigail's been popping in and out so she's found a hole in their security at least. The Carrows-don't ask-don't know how she's doing it, but we've made contingency plans in case it becomes too much."

"What's happening?" Hermione asked, concerned. "I'm not telling," Neville replied, pouring himself another cup of tea. "You'll find out, though, if you get any of Draco's messages. Everyone in the order's been using the emergency station for the past month, trying to organize a takeover."

"What's stopping them?" Harry asked, finally feeling more awake. "We could-" "Abigail's been playing for more time," Neville said. "Said she has something to do first. We asked her if she was hunting Horcruxes, but she said she wasn't. Said it's something to do with her mum."

"What kind of secret could her mum have that we don't know about?" Hermione asked.

"We don't know," Neville replied. "But she's been poking around and I'm sure she'll find it. I doubt it's to do with Riddle, though. But whatever it is, when it hit's the press, it's going to be a free-for-all."

"So why'd you call this meeting?" Hermione asked, carefully watching two strange people glance in their direction.

"More of a safety precaution, really," Neville said. "Just a heads up that Abigail's planning on theoretically murdering the two of you, and Ron will appear on Avalon, spreading the tale on how Death Eaters ambushed you. How they went for you, Hermione, first, then Harry. How Ron appeared just in time to see who they were and send for help, only to have you die tragically in his arms."

"It seems a bit far-fetched." Ron said, "I mean, why Harry and Hermione and not me?"

"Because then your mum would kill _me_. And Abigail. And Draco. Need I go on?"

"And they've agreed to this?" Harry asked, noticing one of the figures looked suspiciously like Hestia Jones.

"They don't know we're doing it."

{PAGEBREAK}

"If it works, he'd have no choice but to come out and gloat," Abigail was tired of defending herself to the same people over and over again. "He'd also likely lose trust in the Death Eaters, because if they can't even bring Harry to him, why would he keep them around? He wants the glory to be his and only his."

Around the table, she was met with silence. She threw a look at Draco, trying to get him to back her up on this.

"You just want an excuse to go out and fight." Robert Campion accused while his father simply tipped back his glass, oblivious to the majority of what was going on around him.

"No shit," someone muttered. Abigail glared at him. "Better die doing something than sitting around accomplishing nothing."

Crouch looked like he wanted to say something but was wisely keeping his mouth shut. "If this succeeds, it'll buy Harry, Ron, and Hermione time to finish what they've been doing."

She glanced at the clock. Most of them were already upset with her for making them miss lunch for this and if they missed dinner, she'd soon have a riot to deal with. "Let's put it to a vote." Crouch said, speaking finally as he caught on to her train of thought. "All in favor?"

Twenty-three hands shot up, Abigail glared at Draco and he raised his hand as well.

"All opposed?" Four hands-predictably Mrs. Weasley, Aunt Narcissa, Aunt Andy, and Sirius.

"Any abstentions?" Three hands- Colin Creevey, Terry Boot, and Susan Bones, while the fourth Hogwarts representative- Blaise Zabini merely looked bored, having voted for the idea.

"The motion carries with three abstentions, four opposed, and a majority vote for by twenty-three members." Mr. Crouch waited as the Quick Quotes Quill they were using for this meeting caught up. "Any comments before we are adjourned?"

Mrs. Weasley stood up and faced Abigail. "I hope you know what you are doing," she said before leaving. Mr. Weasley glanced apologetically at Abigail and followed his wife out the door.

"Then we are adjourned," Mr. Crouch said, wearily, "Draco, may I have a word?"

Draco glanced at Abigail before nodding, saying she could go ahead while he remained behind. Abigail was out the door before anyone could approach her. He didn't doubt she was heading to the nursery. The sounds of three young children awakening were coming through loud and clear on his monitor.

{PAGEBREAK}

12 July 1977

Spinner's End

Northern England

Lily could hear the sounds of Aster swearing at someone as she approached the door. She knocked. "It's unlocked!" someone-probably Regulus called. Lily let herself in.

"What happened here?" she asked, finding the sitting room strewn with books, papers, and what she supposed were bills everywhere.

"Er, Aster and Severus are having a tiff," Regulus said, pulling the sleeve of his shirt down. "They've been at it since last night."

"Where is Severus?" Lily asked, seeing no sign that her friend might be lurking in a corner.

"Downstairs, in his lab, working on something," Regulus bustled into the kitchen as the kettle whistled. "If anything explodes, it's not okay. Otherwise, it's fine."

Lily wondered what exactly was going on, but found she'd rather not know. "And Aster is-?"

"No idea, really, just pops up every now and again," Regulus tugged the sleeve of his shirt back over his arm as it slid up as he reached for cups on the top shelf. Lily caught sight of something black on one of his forearms. He set the cups on the counter and found Lily standing with her arms crossed. "You didn't." she said.

"Did what?" Regulus asked, playing with the cuff of his sleeve. "I didn't do anything,"

"Yes. You. Did." Lily seized the cuff of his shirt and yanked it up to his elbow. "Care to explain how you got this?" she asked as the Dark Mark glared at them both.

"Ma mère a décidé que les meilleurs espions sont ceux que vous attendez le moins. (My mother decided that the best spies are the ones you least expect.)" Aster appeared in the kitchen, making a point of slamming the door behind her. "Ces idiots ont décidé d'être la meilleure option. Bien sûr, personne ne décide de me le demander. (Those idiots decided that they would be the best option. Of course, no one decided to ask me)" Lily got the impression that this was the basis of the argument from the way Aster spoke to the basement door as she said the last bit.

Aster ignored pretty much everything else and started spewing something that resembled a mix of English nouns and French verbs although the words "moron," "supposed to be better," and "wait till James" were intelligible as she stalked about the kitchen, opening drawers looking for something.

She left, stomping up the stairs and Regulus turned to Lily. "So, tea?"

**SEE every couple fights, though sometimes it's not always the "definition of love" argument. Even Severus and Aster fight. And we know they make up. And his life sucks without her. Or his best friend Lily. Excuse me while I begin the next chapter.**

**For those of those who still care: the polls of who you want to live/let die/disappear off the face of the planet is still open and will be open till the Battle of Hogwarts. **

**I may even throw Percy's girlfriend in there for you, if you love my fic with reviews and a platoon of Red Vines.**

**Kudos to those that got the AVPM reference in the previous chapter.**

**Ta!**

**Sparky**


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry that this is later than usual, but hey-it' s still Friday!**

Chapter 18

_Time and trouble may come to our isle, but we will still rise above it all, and survive, so long that our spirit remains._

_-from a statue on Avalon (date unknown)_

It was well past midnight, her tea was ice cold and she still had more files to go through before she could sleep.

The words of an American poet were intermingling with her thoughts as she tried to focus on what was in front of her.

_The woods are lovely, dark and deep._

The names matched so well, that she could easily say they were the same person. She unfolded the paper, knowing that it hadn't seen daylight since that day, over twenty years ago.

_But I have promises to keep._

Fitting the pages together, she saw that the last entry was clear.

Abigail took a deep breath. This hadn't been filed within the Avalon Records Office. It had instead been filed with the British Records Office at the Ministry.

_And miles to go before I sleep_

Name (Last, First, Middle): Keeney-Black , Hero Abigail

Date of birth: 5 January 1981

Place of Birth: Unknown

Parents:

Mother

Name (Last, First, Middle) Keeney-Potter, Aster Jean

Occupation: Unknown

Father

Name (Last, First, Middle) Black, Regulus Arcturius

_And miles to go before I sleep_

{PAGEBREAK}

Harry knew that things were complicated. Even if you took Abigail out of the equation, things would still be complicated. At least for now, they would have a clearer standing.

Voldemort, fortunately, did not know all they did. Of course, he knew the basics: Abigail was Sirius's niece and she and Harry were cousins. But the wider picture had him wishing he could make a two lists: what he knew, and what he didn't know.

It was hard for anyone to keep track. So he kept to the basics himself: for anything to be accomplished two people would have to die. Voldemort would want to end this the place it all started-Hogwarts. That was where it started, so that was where it would end. A lot of people would be injured and a lot of people would die. The only Horcruxes they had to worry about were Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's diadem, the snake, and (he hadn't told Ron, Hermione, or even Ginny about this) himself. Abigail was operating under the analysis that her mother in fact had cursed Lucius Malfoy and since she had died before it had run its course, the curse passed to the next generation-her daughter. People still questioned whose side Snape was on, and if he were honest with himself, Harry did too.

While he was certain Snape wouldn't try to kill Abigail, Harry wasn't sure of him preventing anyone from doing so. Harry was certain, however, that most of the people at the Titanica wouldn't listen to reason and instead kill him on sight. The only people perhaps willing to hear him out were himself and possibly Abigail, although Harry hadn't heard any more messages on the radio.

The lines weren't as clear cut as they were last time, and that was only making their goal more pressing.

"So how are we going to do it?" Ron asked. He was lying down, and Harry had assumed he'd long since fallen asleep. Hermione was sleeping on the camp bed closest to the stove, and her book had long since fallen out of her grasp as she fell asleep reading it.

"Do what?" Harry asked, trying to close off his mind. Although it might give them a better idea on where they stood, he wouldn't let Voldemort into his dreams. Not only would that be creepy, but then Voldemort might wise up to the fact that he screwed up on a major scale that Sahmain night.

"Break into Gringotts." Ron said, as though they were discussing Quidditch.

"We could use the approach Abigail's mum used." It was an interesting topic, although very illogical.

"Just walk in the front door?" Ron asked, "Wouldn't that draw attention?"

"Well we could always use one of my dad's plans," Harry said.

"What kind of plan is that?" Ron seemed to be studying the ceiling. "Do something like those James Bond films and sneak in?"

"Polyjuice." Harry said. "You, me, and Hermione, show up as a couple of Death Eaters and get in that way."

"How are we supposed to rip their hair out?" Ron asked. Harry climbed out of bed and reached for a wooden box underneath. "Use this," Harry said, "Snuck it before we left." He opened the lid and handed one of the vials to Ron.

"People actually run around ripping out their hair?" Ron asked. "You Avis are all mental."

"Actually, these are recovered by breaking and entering," Harry said. "Since Bellatrix had been at Grimmauld Place earlier last year when we went there, I just" he shrugged. "picked her brush. Took a bit to get Rodolphus's hair though, had to run some DNA tests so we didn't end up with the wrong person."

"Wicked," Ron said.

{PAGEBREAK}

"We really need better ideas," Ron said as they waited in an out of the way corridor near Knockturn Alley.

"Well, if you have any, feel free to share them with us," Hermione said, poking her head around the corner. "Harry?"

"Over here," a voice said behind Ron making him jump. Harry pulled off his invisibility cloak. Ron gave him a look. "Don't do that," Ron said. "I don't want to have to watch out for Death Eaters-and you."

"Well, it's the best we've got. Disillusion Charms only last so long." Harry took a quick peek at the deserted street. "Now, once we get access to the vaults, we grab the cup and Apparate out."

"What if there's Anti-Apparition wards?" Hermione asked. "Hadn't really thought about that, so we'll deal with it when we get there."

Hermione whacked him over the head with her bag.

{PAGEBREAK}

"Do I want to know what's going on?" Tonks asked one of the Muggleborn Hogwarts students that was currently pressed up against one of the bookshelves.

"Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are in here, reading" he said in whispered excitement, trying to pull himself up for a better view.

Well, Remus in the library wasn't all that unusual. Sirius, however was a different matter, so she could see why the students had abandoned their studies to spy on the pair.

"What's that they're holding?" asked a pretty Hufflepuff girl, balancing precariously on a wobbling stack of books.

"Dunno," whispered her friend as Tonks tried to find a path that _wasn't _blocked by worshipful students, "ooh, I bet it's a good one!"

"What's going on?" Ginny asked, appearing on Tonks's left.

"Sirius and Remus are reading," Tonks explained. Ginny rolled her eyes. "They're reading the files from Scotland Yard."

Tonks snorted. "Should we leave them to it?" Ginny nodded and they headed to dinner.

**Well, I know this is cutting it short, but RL has been taking my concentration.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, so the hack I told you about in my author's note on Sept. 22? Yeah, turns out it was a false alarm. Some morons decided to exploit Microsoft and leave us techno-freaks high and dry. **

**Essentially I've spent the last few days cursing the so-called idiots at Microsoft on Modzilla Firefox for nothing. **

**So, in the spirit of making me happy, here's Chapter 19. **

Chapter 19

_What history will never know is the discontent among us. They will turn it into something along the lines of a disagreement. I'd rather keep it that way. _

_-from the journal of Aster Jean Keeney, 12 December 1976_

There were probably better ways to get away from everyone than sitting in a tree in early spring. March had never known if it was a winter month or a spring month. Right now, there was snow on the ground and she was fed up with everything.

Of course what she'd be dealing with when she got back was whether or not it was a smart idea to climb a tree that held enough snow to bury a small dog in its branches.

The papers had gone out exactly fifteen days ago, declaring Harry and Hermione dead. When news had hit the Titanica, people started asking questions, so the Weasleys had gone undercover. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had gone with Ginny to Ginny's Auntie Muriel. Fred and George and Lee Jordan had moved the basement of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and promised to keep in touch on the radio. Percy had moved to an outpost in Norfolk, muttering something about being more useful there (she didn't believe it for a minute as Audrey was in the room the entire time) while Bill and Fleur had settled into Shell Cottage. Charlie had come, only for his mother to explain the situation and set off just as fast.

And they gave out that Ron was with his parents, not up for anything more than staying close to his family. For two hours Draco had sat under Polyjuice at a memorial service at the Titanica and Abigail kept to her room, not giving anyone who watched the broadcast reason to think there was anything out of the ordinary. Neville and Dean Thomas had taken Polyjuice and they'd set up a fake camp site a few miles from here and Colin had used his camera to take a few crime scene photographs and (with his brother's assistance) make them look as though a wild animal had clawed at their faces.

She had to admit they looked good, believable. Of course, telling Draco to take some and roll around and make himself look shell-shocked hadn't gone over well, but eventually he'd complied, stopping his whinging only when Mrs. Weasley snapped at him.

She leaned back against the trunk of the tree. It was March, and she had less than two months to live.

{PAGEBREAK}

On March twenty-seventh, Professor McGonagall went down to the Great Hall for breakfast and to take a headcount of the Gryffindor (and truth be told, other students) that remained. Upon seeing the students she blinked and the sight was still there. She blinked again.

Still, nothing had changed (although Blaise Zabini might have turned a page in his book, but she wasn't close enough to see). The majority of the students had donned white and it took her a moment to remember what day it was. Exactly thirty-eight years ago today, was James Potter's birthday. The same thing had happened in January, although that time it was simply the Gryffindors that had done it for Lily Potter. She supposed that a majority of the students were now of the opinion that term was close enough to its end that they might as well give the Carrows hell before someone swung in and ruined it for them. Figuring that the news of Harry's death was the cause for a few Gryffindors not eating, she sat down and wondered if she might as well turn the world completely upside down herself and cancel her classes for the day.

When she saw the banner someone had posted on the doors of the Great Hall, she thought that the Weasley twins had returned and were once again sneaking around, wrecking the havoc they were famous for.

She would have to get one for her classroom, of course. Giving the banner a final look as she left, she wondered if she could possibly excuse a few students to give Moaning Myrtle's bathroom a bit of décor. She walked by, wondering what could be improved and saw the same five words.

_I BELIEVE IN HARRY POTTER._

It wouldn't hurt to see if her sixth years could have a day making buttons, would it?

{PAGEBREAK}

Harry was fairly certain that when he was born his parents did not intend for him to one day be running around the lower levels of Gringotts being chased by Death Eaters. He was also certain that when she found out about this, Ginny was going to kill him. And no matter how much of a prankster his dad had been, James Potter had always drawn the line (or at least attempted to draw the line) at breaking the law with his friends.

Having Aster Keeney for a sister probably didn't help.

So, he figured that he'd gotten off pretty easily with Abigail as his cousin. At least, until they saw the dragon. "What the blood hell?" Ron summed up their thoughts with those words.

"Do you think we have a choice?" Harry asked. "C'mon!" He dropped onto the dragon ( a Norwegian Ridgeback, if he wasn't mistaken) and Ron and Hermione followed suit. "How are we supposed to get out of here?" Ron asked.

Hermione twisted, one hand holding onto Harry's shirt (now really, she was choking him like that) and cried, "_REDUCTO!_" The dragon reared back and the wanna-be guards turned tail and ran, only a few foolish staying to throw spells at them. The dragon lifted off and Harry was holding on for dear life.

"Harry if we die, I'm going to kill you!" Ron promised as they broke through the ceiling and took off.

They held on. "How are we supposed to land?" Ron asked as they flew over a lake. "Jump!" Hermione called, and they fell.

Harry broke the surface, grateful that his glasses hadn't gotten lost. He began swimming when he saw Voldemort. He was unhappy about what they had stolen and was now hidden in Hermione's bag.

He felt the anger overwhelm him and drag him down. He forced himself back to the present. So they knew where Voldemort stood at the moment, now they could work around that.

{PAGEBREAK}

Abigail packed the bags that night, knowing that they would be needed soon. Rope, maps, bandages, anything that they could carry in a rucksack was shoved in. Medical supplies were more important than having enough tea so she put those in crates to be shipped ahead and stored. Tea they could ship later. It would only go bad if it was left to rot.

She spent time counting and creating an inventory of the various potions they'd need. There were sterile needles, thread for stitching deeper cuts, iodine would be in short supply, they were low here as it was. Blankets, sheets, she didn't bother with pillows because if they needed to lay down for more than a few minutes, they were beyond anyone's help; medical tape, strips of soft bandages, softer than clouds, various remedies that wouldn't look out of places in an infirmary, extra cotton balls were shipped by the crate to various locations en route to Scotland.

Removing a set of sheets from a closet one night she stopped. Her constant work for the past few days had only served to push any thought of what if and why that threatened to overtake her imagination. She ran her fingers gently along the fabric. After so long, the scent must have fainted. She glanced at the door and saw no one so she lifted up a fold and sniffed. The faint scent of cedar wood inflamed her senses. Gently, she unfolded them along a table. The crowned raven had faded in spots and it was only the preservation charms that kept these sheets in ready-to-use condition.

This was the last set, the first four having gradually disappeared when her mother walked these halls. The last set that would be a prize for anyone to own, Avi or not.

She took a deep breath, and muttered a quick apology.

The loud sound of ripping fabric echoed in her ears. When the first strip came free, she felt something wet on her hand. Ignoring the pounding of her heart, she stripped another part of the fabric away, cutting a raven off it's throat.

It was only when she was finished that she finally gave in to the finality of it all and broke down, clutching a piece of the fabric in her hand.

{PAGEBREAK}

12 July 1977

Unknown location, England

The sheets had been made about the same time she was born. All through her childhood, these had been a familiar sight. Aster tossed another strip aside as she continued her work. They were running low on bandages and the sheets would do. One more and she could begin rolling them. Having bandages was more important than sleeping on a bed. They had blankets. They could use those and save what sheets they had for the wounded.

Someone knocked at the door. "Just a minute," she called throwing the strips and what was left of the sheet into the laundry hamper in the room. Closing the lid, she turned as the door opened.

"What are you doing?" James asked, leaning against the doorframe. "Nothing," she replied in a casual manner, her mind already switching tracks to focus on what was going on.

He raised his eyebrow. She glared at him, knowing that he wasn't fooled. Hopefully he'd think it was something else, and not comment on the fact that despite being up since six, her hair wasn't pulled back nor did she have her shoes on.

Some secrets were better left unnoticed until it was too late.

**Chapter 20 will be posted on Friday, as per usual.**

**Mischief Managed, **

**Sparky**


	20. Chapter 20

**Happy Friday, all. I am currently vegetating (as in the verb "to vegetate" meaning to be lazy and ignore RL) and watching mindless TV when suddenly, I realize I haven't updated yet today. Oops. **

**Blame my professors for loading the homework so that I'm pissed at the world on a good day. And blame my shoes for giving me blisters the size of grapes. **

Chapter 20

_Follow your spirit, and upon the charge, cry "God" for England, Harry, and St. George-_

_Sir Arthur Conan Doyle_

This wasn't how she thought things would happen.

Things had moved too quickly for them to have anything more than a vague sense of alarm.

Just two days ago, she was questioning whether or not she should send more blankets ahead, now they were being rolled out as they prepared for the eventuality that would follow.

The air on the Astronomy Tower was cold for April. Seventeen years ago, she hadn't been the contingency plan, so far as most everyone was concerned. Now, she was.

Everyone else was hurrying around, frantically trying to get out or at least prepared for the coming attack that she could see the Death Eaters preparing.

The sewing scissors hadn't been used in seventeen years, carefully wrapped and preserved.

Tomorrow, they'd see that things had changed very drastically.

{PAGEBREAK}

Two weeks earlier:

Unknown location, Scotland

Harry really should have reconsidered the consequences of taking charge where Abigail left off. Her notes were in disarray, jumping from one extreme to the next. She had an entire blackboard dedicated to the Carrows-their strengths, their weaknesses, and general information he neither cared to know or thought was relevant to their current position. However, she had only a single blackboard with pictures of Voldemort's supporters and sparse notes here and there.

Ron had taken one look at it, wished him luck, and went in search of the food he was sure that was waiting for them. Hermione had rolled her eyes and tried to get everything into a semblance of order.

Now, he was going over a miniature model of the school while determining the best strategy for getting the younger students out quickly and without putting them in the Death Eaters' way. The passage through the Room of Requirement to the Hog's Head would work-the Death Eaters were unlikely to leave stragglers behind to deal with the younger years while their main target was the castle itself.

The work was however, convincing the invincible-feeling fifth years to leave and chaperone the younger years. He could always use the you're-too-young lecture he'd grown up listening to, but that would accomplish nothing but wasting time in a debate. So, he was going to tell them that if they hadn't taken their OWLs yet, they couldn't fight.

That ought to work.

{PAGEBREAK}

7 January 1981

Godric's Hollow, Wales

He could recall each and every story behind the photographs. Aster had loved that one-she was poised with a cigarette, dressed for the annual New Year's parade. The dart board they dragged from place to place while everyone rolled their eyes, saying it was a waste of time.

He could see and hear each moment leading up to the photograph as though it were yesterday. Sometimes he wished he had a video camera instead.

He saw an owl in the distance as he looked out the window. It was still early, too early for anything of importance to have happen. Besides, it was probably one of Bathilda Bagshot's friends, gossiping about anything and everything. He turned back to the album. The picture this time had been taken at Hogwarts in their last year. Aster was experimenting with timing photographs and had just enough time to jump onto the couch to make it into the frame. Snape looked like he was wishing that he was anywhere else, Regulus was pretending to be huffing into a pipe, Lily was about to hit him with her book, and he was leaning over the back of the couch to try to put something (he couldn't quite remember what it was) under her collar when she was distracted.

She'd slapped him with that book right after the flash went off.

A brown envelope flew out of the fireplace. He opened it and the album slid off his lap.

{PAGEBREAK}

12 April 1998

Although it was early spring, she still had her jacket on. He stood beside her, watching. They mirrored the photographs in the old papers. The gold and black raven glowed proudly in the fading sunlight.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" she asked, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"It hasn't changed that much," he replied, "are you sure?"

She nodded and turned to face him. "Good luck, Harry" she extended her hand.

"_Merde, _Hero," he replied shaking it. She left and he watched her head back before turning and heading back the way he came.

**So the stage is set, I just need to work out the process of leading up to the battle. It's not going to be a total recreation of JKR's wonderful work, but I'll do my best.**

**Speaking of the goddess who created all that is Potter, her new book is released in the States today. She also recently mentioned the possibility of her returning to Potter-land. She says Harry's story is done, but we are all hoping that she'll continue with the adventures of James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, Rose and Hugo Weasley, as well as their cousins and friends…even Scorpius. I think Ron's comment was just asking for the two of them (Rose and Scorpius) to become friends. **

**Also I'm pretty sure Rose would go for it if only to give Ron a minor heart attack (myocardial infarction for those who want the technical term).**


	21. Chapter 21

**Well, it's Friday and I'm here, stuck in bed because apparently "still coughing" classifies as "still sick" in my family. Most everyone has abandoned me in my room and flinch when I exit. **

**Yeah, so I'm posting this cause I said so, but also cause I'm hoping someone will make my day with a review.**

Chapter 21

_I will never surrender._

_-Aster Jean Keeney, 31 October 1974_

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster's Office

8:29PM

"Harry's on his way," she set her teacup down. Severus glanced across the desk. There was no need to ask if he had a plan. If she were involved, there was a plan, one that was already in motion from the way she kept glancing at the clock.

Her mother had done the same thing, keeping an eye on the time and then cursing from the lack of information. Only by now Aster would have already started snapping at people in impatience to find out what was going on.

"So why'd you keep it a secret?" Ah, so that was the reason she wasn't pacing at the moment. She needed answers. "It was your mother's idea," he replied, "in case anything happened." There was no reason for her to ask what things could have happened. There were many things that she had set up as a minefield for Voldemort to navigate through. This was probably the most drastic.

"How come no one thought to tell me?" she asked. "If I'd gone to school in Brighton-"

"Then I would have told you what you needed to know and nothing more." he replied. "Or did you not tell Draco of your plan for tonight?" She fell silent at that, and he knew he'd struck a nerve.

"Point taken." she said. "What are you going to do about it?"

His look gave her an answer.

{PAGEBREAK}

The waiting was going to drive him insane.

Sirius kept checking his watch and glancing out the window, waiting for Abigail to give the signal that it was all clear and they could (quite literally) storm the castle.

He saw a red spark in the sky. "Let's go," he said.

{PAGEBREAK}

She stood overlooking the school. She'd thought about this long ago, but only fleetingly. But she hadn't taken anything seriously.

"Delaying won't make it happen any faster," the cool voice said behind her. She turned, tucking the scissors in her pocket. "I know," she replied. "But I don't want to have to do it."

"If you don't, the curse will follow your family until the end of time." the ghost replied.

"Do I have your blessing then, _Domina _Helena?" she asked, turning back to estimate how many Death Eaters were out there, waiting.

She closed her eyes, feeling the air grow cooler as the ghost floated past her. _"Merde"_ a voice whispered in her ear.

{PAGEBREAK}

Voldemort had grown used to that voice taunting him. The whistling was growing louder, and he sensed that many of the Death Eaters could hear it too. He'd heard it before, of course, and every time it grated on his nerves. A slow, haunting three-note whistle.

He turned his gaze from Hogwarts in time to see a white mist appear, causing many to jump back in surprise.

"_It's not too late, Tom," _Her voice was taunting him. _"turn back and I will forget this."_ Other voices joined in, but he couldn't make them out.

"_Let them live, or you will die." _

He didn't respond to the voice. Nagini inched towards it cautiously, trying to determine if she could eat it or what else. As the snake approached the mist, a white lightening bolt shot towards it and Nagini recoiled.

"_Your time is almost up, Tom. Don't defy me again."_

With a loud cackle of thunder, the mist vanished.

{PAGEBREAK}

28 July 1994

Avalon Academy, Avalon

He always knew where she was. Despite the age gap, everyone joked that they'd been twins in a previous life. Right now, they should have been heading towards the fields for their physical education class, but she had disappeared after breakfast that morning.

Most everyone just shrugged it off, even Draco played it up to her family just being weird, but Harry understood that sometimes you needed to be alone to get your thoughts in order.

"Hey," he said, seeing her up a familiar tree branch. The tree and river had been there as far back as anyone could remember.

She didn't respond right away, but Harry knew she wasn't being sullen.

"Someone send you looking for me?" she asked, readjusting her position. Harry saw that her jacket and bag were hung on another branch.

"No, actually." Harry dropped his bag and hoisted himself into a nearby tree so they were overlooking the same spot. "How are you?"

She shrugged, watching a family of ducks make their way towards the river. "All right, I guess. I can't stop thinking about her, though."

Harry remained silent. Abigail's mum had always been a touchy subject. Even Professor Snape didn't like talking about Aster Jean Keeney.

"What about her?" Harry asked as the bell rang, telling them they were late for class. It didn't matter, not really.

Abigail shrugged. "She went through hell defying everyone, just to name me Abigail in the end. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did she bow down to tradition at the very moment she could have destroyed it forever? Every letter, she says she's never free, so why didn't she just break away?"

It was Harry's turn to shrug. "I don't know. Perhaps she was the only one that knew."

Abigail gave him a look that told him she didn't believe it for a minute. "She would've told Dad." she said simply.

"Then, maybe he's waiting for the right moment to tell."

{PAGEBREAK}

There was really no reason why she would be wearing a hat like that except for that something was up.

"Are the younger years evacuated?" she snapped at a shocked Percy Weasley. "The last are using the Honeyduke's passage now," he replied, "and four members of the Avalon Guard are going to follow to make sure there are no tails from the Death Eaters and they'll meet up with a recon team that'll use Portkeys to get them to the Titanica," he stepped away to go see if Fred and George had finished positioning the sniper rifles from the towers yet.

Muggle technology was really ingenious when used properly. His dad, at least, was pleased that this was being incorporated.

Time was ticking away. There was only so much they had until everything that was certain disappeared.

**Well, once again, dear readers. It's battle time. Who does what? Who saves whom? And will my mom let me out so I can do my homework today? **

**Stay tuned…**

**Mischief Managed, **

**Sparky**


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay, okay, okay. So, the state where I live in shouldn't have given me a driver's license. I'm one good field test of vision away from them taking it and I can't drive for *(&^ and whoever gave me my license in the first place ought to be reprimanded for doing so. **

**So a rundown of yesterday: teachers piled on the homework, I got ready for work, en route to work I get into a car accident. Namely, the bumper is completely off and my insurance rates will never recover. Apparently I was so freaked out my boss had to call to make sure I was okay. **

**So, teenagers. DO NOT go down Main Street of my town. Seriously, if you see a sign saying you've past the fairgrounds and a certain town is within spitting distance, KEEP DRIVING. **

**I will be avoiding the driver's seat until I've done another six hours on the road with a CERTIFIED DMV GUY. Preferably, the Car Doctor.**

**Yes, yesterday was filled with angst. Make me feel better so I don't blow what cash I have at Dairy Queen. Please.**

Chapter 22

_Close your eyes and let your imagination take over._

_-Arthur Abraxas Keeney, June 1963_

29 March 1971

Unknown location

"Who are your family?"

"The Keeneys."

"Who are your kin?"

"The people of Avalon."

"Who do you follow?"

"She who gave birth to us all."

"Why have you come here?"

"I want to follow the path of my ancestors. I want to learn our secrets, honor our heritage, and defend against those who threaten all I hold dear."

"How long are you willing to fight?"

She didn't flinch as she replied, "All the days of my life."

{PAGEBREAK}

12 April 1998

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"You're bat shit insane," Ron mutters as she finishes explaining what's going on to them.

"Won't be the first," she replies. "Now are you in or not?" Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "Just so I can be there when you fuck everything up and have to get a new exit strategy, yeah."

"Ron, there's plan A, and then there's plan B," Abigail is already on the move, dodging students left and right.

"What's plan B?" he asked Hermione as Abigail hoists herself up towards the ceiling.

"Exchange insults until they're distracted and then run." she answers all too calm. They were in the Room of Requirement looking for Ravenclaw's diadem. Ron and Hermione were looking piece by piece while Abigail searched in the many piles in case Riddle got creative.

"What the-" Ron looked at all the sheer _stuff_ that had gotten put in the Room of Requirement at one time or another. And did that doll just wink at him

"Dumping crap since before we were even thought of," Abigail said, sliding down a pile and landing by an old ornate box. "It's here or somewhere else. How much you want to bet he thought no one would go looking?"

Hermione rolled her eyes from where she was looking through a pile of picture frames whose subjects had long since been removed. Abigail shrugged and popped open the lid. "Wow. For once he is predictable." She pulled her sleeve over her hand and lifted the diadem up with it. Ron walked over. "So, this is what we're after."

"And when we're finished, it's going back to Avalon where it belongs." she replied. "So, who wants to torch this sucker?"

"This is a historical object." Hermione said. "You don't destroy an object like this."

"Riddle defiled it and made it everything unholy," Abigail said. "We're torching it."

As if sensing the discussion, the diadem started struggling against Abigail's grip. "Frindyfire should do it. Care to do the honors, Ron?"

Ron pulled out his wand and cleared his throat. "On three," Ron took a deep breath. "One. Two. Three" Abigail dropped the diadem as Ron shot a stream of fire at it.

"Run!" Hermione called as the fire started engulfing everything in sight.

"Shut the door!" As a team, they shut the doors just in time to prevent the diadem from flying to safety. "That was good," Abigail said, "we've got that one. We just have to see if there's anything left later."

Ron couldn't stop staring after her. "She tends to do that," Hermione said, as if that explained everything.

{PAGEBREAK}

Chaos. It was absolute pandemonium. It was hard to tell who was who. Things flashed before her eyes too quickly for her to take it all in. She was standing a little ways off, not hidden, not concealed in any way. They were ignoring her. It was an overload of sensations she'd only experienced sporadically, but never in this intensity.

Just knowing what was going on, it was enough for her to feel as though she were being slowly suffocated. A part of her was dying. Over a thousand years of history was being destroyed by people who were a part of it. Tears, grief, joy, happiness, love, loss, human emotion was held within these walls that were now being cut down and blown to dust.

She closed her eyes, hoping to shut it all out, trying to push the onslaught of cries from her mind. Focus was needed. She needed to focus. The time to act was now. Later, there would be time to mourn. There would be time to repair the damage. Only time and season would heal the rift in this place. This place would be littered with death and destruction long after she was gone. It would be up to those after to return the place to its rightful state.

She opened her eyes. It would take work, but she had to slip out of sight and run towards the forest.

Harry caught up with her as she was about to leave the castle. "Are you sure we can pull this off?" he asked, watching her slip on a pair of glasses. She glanced at him. "Course I am," she replied, pinning her hair up quickly. "How do I look?"

"You'll pass form a distance," he said, watching her pin the wig into place. "Does anyone else know?"

She rolled her eyes. "If they did, I wouldn't be here, and you would be halfway across the grounds by now," she tied a handkerchief around her neck. The color would make her more visible and identifiable. "I'm going to check on something before I go, but I'll meet you there," with that, she'd tossed her pack into an empty room and slammed the door shut.

Harry took off, shooting off curses at Death Eaters as he made his way out of the castle.

**Well, chapter 23 will be up next week. I just have to play catch up on homework first. **

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**


	23. Chapter 23

**Well, things are wrapping up. I apologize for the lack of detail in advance. I am not the great JKR, so I am not as well-versed as she is.**

**I hope you appreciate the chapter. The final vote will be displayed in the next chapter.**

Chapter 23

_I'm not afraid of what happens at the end. It's a new beginning._

_-unknown_

Draco wasn't sure when he'd discovered Abigail was missing. He only knew that he was looking for her when Ron and Hermione came back without her.

It was only trying to defend himself that prevented him from actively looking.

He just hoped she was okay.

{PAGEBREAK}

Harry was lying dead, in the dirt. In the forest, Abigail knew that she had to act quickly.

She whistled, calling attention to her. From a distance, even their friends had trouble telling them apart. The false glasses would hopefully complete the deception and distract them enough that she could get away.

Heads snapped towards her, and she stood her ground. She couldn't run, no matter how much her body wanted her to.

Bellatrix LeStrange was only feet away. She didn't bother hiding her expression. A curse sent her flying backward, and maniac laughter echoed in her ears.

She leapt to her feet, knowing that timing was everything. She countered, but a hot feeling grazed her cheek. She'd stayed still a second too long. She was numb to the pain as she fought.

It seemed like forever until she was clambering her way towards the castle. She'd bought Harry the time he needed, and she thought, tripping on the loose rocks and debris, that that was what mattered.

Bellatrix LeStrange remained on the ground, unmoving.

{PAGEBREAK}

If anyone asked her what had happened, she probably wouldn't be able to tell them. It was only snatches of conversation, images that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Seeing the blood, and the look on her dad's face when the snake attacked him. Then Harry. Harry just holding her back, then pushing her aside as he ran in. But then Voldemort vanished, and there was nothing they could do.

She stumbled her way towards the water. She needed to rest, the night was almost over. Falling, she didn't bother trying to right herself more than turning onto her back. The moon was waning. She blinked something-_was that blood?-_out of her eyes. She couldn't fall asleep until she knew what was going on.

She felt as though something was pounding against her. Rock maybe? It certainly wasn't rain. Rain was cool and comforting. _It certainly is._ A voice said wryly. _Don't fall asleep, Hero. I'm here. _Someone lifted her head into their lap. _Mum?_ she asked, trying to voice the foreign word. Instead it came out barely a whisper.

_It's me._ She closed her eyes. _I was so close, Mum. We almost made it. We almost tricked him. _She felt something cool on her face, wiping the blood away. She could hear voices, but she pushed them away. They weren't important, not now. _They're always going to be important._ She wanted to laugh. _Since when did you get philosophical?_

Someone was stroking her hair. _There are things we always know, but don't voice. It's almost light out._ And she could feel it, as the sun tried to overtake the dark. There were whispers and she felt someone or something soft smack her cheek with great force. _What's going on?_

_Hold still. It'll be all right. _Listening to the voice, she tried to will herself to sleep.

_Not yet, Hero. Harry's coming._

{PAGEBREAK}

Harry wondered if Abigail looked as bad as he felt. The deception had worked almost perfectly. The only thing that they hadn't accounted for was the werewolves who'd been tracking them. They'd picked up on Abigail more quickly than they had time to react. In the fray, she'd done the smart thing and ran, but he stayed. He knew how this had to play out. He and Abigail both knew. She was just delaying the inevitable.

And it was an odd sense, floating into nothingness. He didn't fear death. If he'd learned-believed- anything, it was that wherever you'd go, at least your family would be there. What he wasn't prepared for was the sheer weightlessness he felt.

He could hold his breath, make sure that they didn't catch that he was still alive. Hearing Ginny's screams nearly made him give it up too soon. He was waiting for Abigail to pop up and distract the Death Eaters, but she hadn't come. Things were probably worse than he'd first assumed if she couldn't even come forward and get the Death Eaters to back off.

His brain was a little fuzzy on the details, but Ron and Hermione reassured him with a quick glance that the Horcruxes were destroyed. He took a brief glance at the sky. The moon was waning. _Go._ A voice whispered in his ear. _Now. _

Harry crept along the wall. He tapped Neville on the shoulder. Neville started, but moved and whispered something in Draco's ear. Draco nodded and he saw the others start to lure the Death Eaters elsewhere. Fred and George set off a barrage of gunfire from around the courtyard using a trigger. Those on their side dropped, cursing the Death Eaters from positions on the floor. Those unfamiliar with gunfire started, turning around, wondering where the shots were being fired from. When the last gunshot went off, Harry could see Death Eaters on the ground, moaning and clutching their sides. A few had been hit in the head and were already gone.

Bellatrix LeStrange tried to take advantage of the confusion by aiming a curse at Sirius who countered, sending her flying into the opposite wall. Ron and Hermione surged forward at the front of a group of students taking up positions to prevent them from taking the Great Hall where the wounded and dead were lying side by side.

Even years later, he wouldn't give out details of what happened. Somehow, it ended up that Harry and Voldemort were the last two in the courtyard. A wind was picking up. _See Tom? _a voice said, swirling around the two of them. _Why do you think I refused to join you? Look at what you've become. _Harry was trying to ignore the pounding in his head that made his vision swim. _I told you I would dance on your grave, and look at me now. _

_Help me, _Harry pleaded. _I can't take him on my own. _He was losing strength, groping for his wand as they both dived, certain that they would each be the victor. _You are never alone, Harry Potter. _The voice was calming him and he stood at the same time as Voldemort.

_Your family, your friends, we will always be with you. _A stronger voice whispered in his ear. _Merde, young Potter. The cause you fight for will always triumph even in the darkest hour. _

"Expeilliarmus!' Harry threw all his might into the spell as green light surged toward him. Voldemort looked at him, leering, then panicked. "You!" He bellowed. "You're dead!'

_You can not kill a person's spirit. How often have you forgotten that? _Harry didn't look behind him, but felt the sudden presence of people encouraging him.

Voldemort faltered and in that second, Harry pressed on, keeping his gaze fixed on Voldemort.

Then, he was gone and only ash remained.

Harry lowered his wand, ready to collapse as the first rays of sunlight permeated the darkness.

[PAGEBREAK}

She opened her eyes and saw the sun. They had won. She squeezed the hand holding hers. "N'ayez pas peur (Don't be afraid)" she murmured, closing her eyes one last time, welcoming the feel of the water around her.

[PAGEBREAK]

Harry turned, expecting to see people behind him. What he saw was a lone figure. "Slightly disappointed, Harry?" the ghost asked.

"A bit," he admitted, "I was hoping for someone else-not that I'm not glad to see you, it's just-" She waved him off. "It's fine. I just have a little promise to fulfill, then I'll be moving on."

"Moving on?" he asked stupidly.

The ghost nodded. "I lingered here to see him dead. Now that he is, I am at peace. And Harry?" He stopped from where he was heading towards the Great Hall. "Don't be afraid of the unknown, for that is the best adventure of all."

He nodded and his last glance of the ghost was of a serenely dancing figure.

Later, he was holding the Elder wand. He could keep it, he knew, overlooking the castle. He could become the Master of Death. Harry snorted. He'd checked in with everyone, making sure they were okay before coming here.

The world didn't need it, he decided. He could snap it and let its power be broken. But it rightfully belonged to the Lake. All three Hallows did-his invisibility cloak, the Elder Wand, and the Resurrection Stone he'd found hidden in one of the Horcruxes. Bringing them back and offering them up would complete the circle-let things end where they'd once begun. Wasn't it trying to cross to Avalon the Perevell brothers had encountered Death? Hadn't the power of the Lake made them possible?

"Hey," Harry turned. Abigail was leaning on a half-demolished pillar. "I can take them for you,"

He shrugged. "Heading home already?" He asked, wondering why she would leave so soon.

"Yes." she said, sitting down next to him. "So he's really gone?"

"He is." Harry replied, watching her swing her legs over the edge. "Hard to believe it, isn't it?"

"He's haunted us our whole life, now he's gone." Abigail looked over the edge. "I can't believe they hid this from me," she pulled out a paper and handed it to Harry. He unfolded it and saw it was a birth certificate issued in London over seventeen years ago.

"Why'd they hide this?" He asked, knowing that there must be a good reason. She shrugged. "Same reason your parents didn't tell anyone about Avalon. Anything happened, I could disappear and no one would be the wiser. I could've gone to Hogwarts and been just another Muggle-born and no one would've suspected who I am."

"How did you find out?" Harry asked. She didn't meet his eyes. "Dad did it, after Mum died. Went to the Ministry, I guess there were a few Memory Modifications involved, so that if it came to the point I had to be hidden at Hogwarts, he could hide me in plain sight."

"But your eyes-" Harry began. "Muggle disguises work better than wizard ones sometimes. Remember how my mum convinced everyone that she was yours using wigs?" They shared a brief laugh.

"Here," Harry said, handing over the Elder Wand. "You've already got the stone?" She nodded. "I think you should keep the cloak, though. It may come in handy someday. Besides, it's been in your family for generations." Harry sighed, there would be no convincing her otherwise. Once her mind was made up, it wasn't changeable.

"I'll see you in a while," she said, standing up and brushing dust off her. She seemed almost unearthly in the light of the sun.

"See you later," Harry said, content to watch the light shine for a moment.

{PAGEBREAK}

Draco could barely stand it as people exchanged stories. Already talk had turned to who was going where. Maybe Avalon Academy could help set up a temporary school so they could finish the year. He glanced beside him. She should be taking her NEWTs this year, making up for having missed them last year.

But Abigail Keeney would never walk the halls of Hogwarts again.

She was dead.

The thought alone was enough to make bile rise in his throat. She'd died shortly before…They had almost made it together. Almost…. "Hey," He looked up. Astoria Greengrass was standing holding a cup of tea. "You want some?" He shook his head, but she sat down anyway, mindful not to disturb the sheet that covered Abigail's body.

"I'm sorry about Abigail," she said. He refused to move his eyes. "Draco, come on." He gave her a look that said he wasn't ready to talk.

Astoria sighed and set the tea on the bench next to him. "Fine, then. I'm going to help get things settled in the hospital wing if you're going to act like this."

"She said 'Don't be afraid'," he said suddenly. "What would I have to be afraid of?"

{PAGEBREAK}

15 April 1998

Avalon

Even in the early spring sunshine, it seemed that everyone turned out to say farewell. All Sirius could see was white stretching from Mercy Hall to the Lake. Flags flew at half-staff out of respect and even the birds were silent.

He watched as the priestesses of the isle committed Abigail's wand to the Lake, so that its power would live on. A few people were crying. Draco, holding Eileen, was paler than usual and quiet. He was holding Arthur and the toddler seemed oddly solemn, focusing his unblinking gaze on the pristine water in front of them. Teddy looked like a miniature old man with his hair white to match Tonks's dress.

As Abigail's closest relative, Harry was standing near the front, looking towards the sky. As Sirius watched, he saw a white owl break through the mist. He recognized the owl as Hedwig, who had disappeared months ago when Harry had tried to send her ahead to the Burrow without Death Eaters knowing.

Hedwig swooped over the crowds and Harry could see the tiny offering in her beak. She landed on Harry's outstretched arm and Harry held up the olive branch for all to see.

A sudden wind picked up, and the girls grasped their coifs in fear they would blow away while the younger children ducked towards their parents. He glanced to his right and saw a fleeting image of people standing a bit far away.

One of the figures waved and Sirius couldn't help but stare. _Prongs?_ he thought.

_Yes, Padfoot, it's me._ Sirius nearly grinned at the familiar voice. _Honestly, you think you'd both be past those nicknames by now. _Another familiar voice joined in.

_James will always be that way, you think we'd have accepted it by now. _A third unfamiliar voice chimed in. He glanced at Remus who was looking in the same direction, a bit of shock and surprise on his face.

_Scared, Moony? _Remus shook his head as though he were trying to clear his hearing before gaping at the sight.

_How long have you been here?_ Sirius was still trying to comprehend the ghostly figures in front of him.

_Sixteen years, give or take a few months. For them, at least. _Abigail's familiar voice made Sirius look around wildly as though she were right behind him.

_We'll always be here, Sirius. Death's not the end. Well, it is for some, but for us it's just a new start. _

"Regulus?" he breathed. _Hello, big brother. I'm sorry._

_You've got nothing to be sorry for._

"See something interesting?" He spun wildly. Narcissa was holding a fussy Teddy who looked ready for a nap. Sirius shook his head. "No." She raised an eyebrow as if to say "Riiggght".

"I was kind of hoping Aster would make an appearance today." she said, sounding a little disappointed. _I wouldn't miss this for the world. _

"Well, she's dead."

"Dead usually doesn't mean 'gone', Sirius."

**Well, they all survived. I've got an idea about the whole funeral where the Creevey brothers photograph the whole event. **

**I hope you've enjoyed the ****A****valon series as much as I have had writing it. But, alas, next chapter is the epilogue and I hope you enjoy that as well.**

**I started this on a whim over a year ago (my birthday to be precise) and now, look at it. Loyal following which will hopefully spawn something bigger: reviews.**

**Thank you dear readers.**

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**


	24. Epilogue

**Well, everyone, it's been a great journey. I'm glad you stuck with me till the end. **

**Now, I know that the kids are OOC, but c'mon. I wanted to play (*puppy dog face*) Besides, it's my universe and I like it. **

19 Years Later

King's Cross Station

London, England

1 September 2017

It seemed that autumn came early that year. The first of September dawned bright, sunny, and cold. In retrospect, not much had changed.

"James! Give me back my book!"

Well, some things had. An eleven year old boy followed his brother, trying to keep up and not upset his sister who was perched on the trunk in the trolley. At the barrier to Platforms Nine and Ten, the oldest vanished. Muttering a few words, he followed, taking his sister with him. His parents were most likely right on their tale.

"James Sirius Potter!" His sister decided to help him out and slipped through the crowd effortlessly. He finally caught up with James standing with their cousins.

"James, give me my book!"

"You'll have to catch it!" His brother tossed the book to him as he hung half-out the train. He caught the battered book and reverently smoothed the worn cover with his thumbs.

His sister grinned and he heard a shriek from inside the compartment. "LILY!"

"I got him, didn't I?" Nine year old Lily Potter said, happily.

"Brilliant," Their cousin Rose came up, already dressed in her uniform. "What was it?"

"Just took a pack of his stuff from Uncle George and put it in Albus's trunk," Lily said sweetly as their parents caught up with them.

Meanwhile, Harry and Ginny stood with Ron and Hermione, letting the kids enjoy the moment.

"A ferret, Harry, really?" Draco watched his youngest run ahead to join with his friends. "I'll never forgive you for that one, mate,"

"And we'll never forget," Ron said, "What house d'you think they'll be in?"

"It doesn't matter," Harry said, "They know we're proud of them." He spotted Albus quietly putting his things away where his brother and cousin had already boarded. "I think I have a bit of last-minute parenting to do," he said, excusing himself.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"What if I am in Slytherin?" Albus asked, not turning to face Harry.

"Then Slytherin will have gained an excellent student. My cousin was in Slytherin. Her father and her dad were some of the best students who came through that House."

He pulled Albus close impulsively. "Remember what your mum and I have always told you."

"As long as I do my best, nothing else matters." Albus replied tonelessly. He turned. "Thanks, Dad,"

The train whistled. "Ready?"

"Ready" Albus gave his dad one last hug before hopping aboard.

As the train pulled away, Harry reflected on how much time had passed and how many things had changed.

His scar had not hurt for nineteen years. All was well.

**Yes, that last bit was from HPDH by the great JKR. **

**Now, there is a chance that possibly I MAY write the how this whole thing started back in the 1970's (with Aster, and Lily, and James, and Severus, and Regulus) BUT that will probably not happen until December. **

**I will be in hiatus while I keep my life on track, but I will be brainstorming ideas and will announce my next project at Midwinter (December 21) or on Festivis (December 23). Rest assured, by New Year's, you'll be hearing from me again. **

**Thank you once again, for making this an enjoyable experience. **

**Now, I am sitting here, dressed to the nines like a Slytherin in my robes and uniform, waiting for Sahmain. Of course, Halloween night, I will pay my respects to James and Lily and all those that died. **

**Mischief Managed,**

**Sparky**


End file.
